My Love Story

I've been thinking a lot about my husband lately.  We're coming up on twelve years and I couldn't be happier.  It occurred to me today that a small miracle that happened back when I was a teenager holds the entire responsibility for bringing us together.

I was fifteen years old and living in Alaska at the time.  I dealt with a lot of isolation because I was home schooled.  I made a lot of friends online or through church groups.  One of my friends shared my contact information with an older cousin who operated a book selling group for college students. 

This man sent me an email asking me if I'd be interested in doing door to door book sales to earn money for college.  If I did, it meant flying from Alaska to New Jersey by myself.  Normally, people are highly suspicious of such invitations received over the internet, but I wasn't because I knew the people involved.  They were all affiliated with my church group and well known. 

At the time I was a very shy, introverted type.  I didn't want to go.  The last thing I wanted to do was go somewhere by myself to hang out with a bunch of people who I'd never met, (even if they were good people).  I'd never flown on an airline alone; never traveled alone.

So I got up from the computer, went into my room and prayed furiously.  I didn't want to go but for some reason I felt like I really should want to go.  I felt guilty for not wanting to go.  So I made a bargain.  I told God that if He really wanted me to go, he would have to go through my dad.  "There's no way dad will let me go," I thought, "and you'll also have to get him to pay for my ticket."

I felt very secure in my bargain.  There wasn't the slightest possibility that dad would let me go, and we were always broke so I didn't think he'd also want to buy me a plane ticket.

Boy was I wrong.  I came out of my room feeling super relieved that I wouldn't have to go.  My dad is standing at my desk looking at my computer screen.  He looks over at me and says, "Do you want to go on this trip?  If you want to do it, you can go.  I'll even buy you a plane ticket."

I couldn't say anything.  I was told.  I was so dumbfounded I didn't know what to do.  So I went on the trip.  While on this trip I met two of my husband's brothers. 

Later one of these brothers would have a car wreck that paralyzed and nearly killed him.  Out of guilt and pity for not having sent well wishes, I would go to visit him and that is when I would meet my husband.

In the beginning I thought God wanted me to sell books.  I thought He wanted me to get over being shy and learn to talk to strangers.  I thought He wanted me to be a missionary and do great things and I never felt I could live up to these expectations.  Now I think maybe he just wanted me to meet a good man who would love me as much as He did.