How I Met MY MAN!

Barb at A Chelsea Morning has put out a question for us to answer ... How Did You meet Your Honey?

Well, it was fall of 1979. I was in the 7th grade Homeroom class, and there he was. A greasy-haired, freckle-faced red-headed boy that quickly became friends with me. I'll call him "Bing." We hung out, laughed, and occasionally teased other people in our class. He always seemed to protect the "underdog" and that was one of the things that I really liked about him ... because I was always the "underdog."

But in the fall of 1980, my parents enrolled me in a private school, and he continued on in public school. I would occasionally see him at church functions, because his grandmother attended our church, but we were only friends. After all, he was so not GQ-ish! (yeah -- like I was ALL THAT!). Eventually, we changed churches and I lost track of him.

Fast forward two years later. It's 1981/82, and I am attending high school in a Christian academy. I am head-over-heels in love with a guy I think is "Mr. Right." My friends tell me that someone else was starting to move in on him, and I'd better let him know how I felt about him. So, being the stupid young girl I was, I wrote him a note that told him I really liked him and wanted to be more than friends. He wrote me back and said he really liked me too, but only wanted to be friends. But he also said that he really liked my hair cut. OWW! That stung. But at least he noticed my new hair cut! I was so depressed and weapy. I remember praying and begging the Lord to show me the man he had selected for me.

Fast forward a couple weeks. My youth group went to Christian Skate Night at the local roller skating rink. We were half way done, when I glanced over at one of the tables and ... saw ... BING.

Boy, he sure had changed! He was clean, handsome, tall, and he was BUILT! But really, best of all, he was there with another YOUTH GROUP. Could it be that he was a CHRISTIAN? No way.

Well, I mentioned all this to my girlfriend, and being the shy person I was, I dropped it. And being the obnoxious un-shy person that she was, she did NOT drop it. She went right up to Bing and asked him if he remembered me from Jr. High (we were in 10th grade now). He said he thought that he did remember me, because I used to kick him under the tables in Jr. High. He wanted to look at me, but every time he'd skate by, I'd duck behind a half wall and hide. Did I mention I was shy?

Thankfully, my friend gave him my phone number, and he called me a few days later. We began dating in March of 1981. Actually, our first date was to see the movie "The Man from Snowy River" at the theaters with my youth group. I was so nervous that I accidentally threw my ticket away with some trash (we were waiting in line to get in), and he had to buy me a new one. He never even got mad. I totally knew he was the answer to my prayers. He was such a good person, and I felt so lucky.

By Christmas of 1988 we were engaged, but we didn't get married until June of 1990 because my parents wouldn't let me get married until I was at least 22. We've been together ever since. The first five years were very rocky as we tried to make a go of the relationship on our own, the next 5 were less rocky as we began putting Christ at the center of our relationship, but the last 6 have been amazing. I have fallen so deeply in love with this man, and I have never had a doubt in my mind that he was the one God intended for my life.

Even after 16 years of marriage, he is still my soul mate, best friend, and love of my life, and we still hold hands and hug and kiss and act like teenagers. He is so handsome, and he can still take my breath away. And ... he can make me laugh so hard I have tears running down my face. I can't imagine having married anyone else, and I'm so happy that my son looks just like his handsome daddy!

So, there's my story in a nut shell... Not the most romantic, but totally a God thing!