God Giving Love

An introduction was all it took. A former friend of mine introduced me to the man who, in less than six months, will be my husband. All it took was that one simple introduction to change the course of my life.

I was 16 and he was 18. I was still in high school and he was starting college. Of course my parent's didn't exactly approve due to the stages of our lives we were in. It took a lot of pleading with my Mom and Dad to give him chance. It wasn't until our first date that my Dad decided "I could take him" if I needed to fight him off. This still makes me giggle to this day.

Fast forward to three months later. He told me he loved me. Being the adolescent I was, I didn't want to be the one to say it first. I now realize how I wasted that time. I'd wasted three months of sheer happiness and love all because I didn't want to be the one to say it first. It all seems silly to me now since I realize how precious this thing called 'love' is. Letting three glorious months pass before I told the man I'm going to marry I love him is such a trivial thing now. Especially since I don't let a day go by that I don't let him know I love him. Even when I'm angry. Try saying "I love you" to your significant other when you're livid. It sucks the wind right out of your sails only to leave laughter (in my case) in it's place. I only wish I'd told him sooner because I've been lucky enough to be blessed to have more time with him. I'm blessed to have found a man that is brave like Jonathan and obedient of God like Abraham.

We grew up together. I'm so glad we did. We got to know each other all over again through the stages of adolescence. I saw a hardworking, Christian boy who was raised by phenomenal parents evolve into a hardworking, Christian man. He watched me struggle to determine my life course in high school and had so much patience when I felt like my world was falling apart because one small thing didn't go as planned. He kept my world together when it felt like it was falling apart. He's a pillar of strength, love, happiness, faith and joy. Just being around him made me want to mold myself into a better person. To this day, he makes me want to be a better person in this life. He makes me want to be a better woman in Christ, a better sister, daughter, friend and lastly, a better wife. He's someone that I'm proud to live this life with because he reminds me constantly that we are a team and that we are strength all by ourselves but a force when we're together. What better to way to live this life than with your best friend? You'll never settle if you do.

The day he proposed, five years later. It was on Thanksgiving. I couldn't even eat after all the excitement. I was over the moon because this man has chosen me as I have chosen him. I'd choose him in a thousand lifetimes too. I endeavor to fulfill my journey as his wife in the best way possible. As woman was made from the rib of man, I will stand beside him. I will support him and I will love him every moment of every day. I will strive to remember that neither of us are perfect and promise to remember all the ways we are perfect together. I aim to celebrate our differences because, after all, we are polar opposites. I strive to always to remember to appreciate all the things he does for me, all the things he will do for our family, and all the things he has yet to do. I promise to give him time to chase his dreams as I hope to chase mine. I aim to make sure that our path is clear so we can always find our way back to each other.

Here we are 7 years later. We've been engaged for two years, lived in multiple apartments, have one beautiful dog and just bought our first home together. I get those slow dances in the morning before we leave for work and those slow dances when I'm cooking dinner. I get the obnoxious laughter at comedies. I get to tease him relentlessly for all his little quirks that I say annoy me even though I secretly love them. The cuddles, the starry look in his eyes. All the I-love-you's, how-was-work's and man-I-missed-you's. I get all those with a phenomenal man. I get it all because He first loved us.