Love for You: Day Thirteen

Today's post is all about someone very important in my life.

Hubby - You and I met a long time ago...so long ago, that I don't remember the exact day. But, I didn't really know you and we weren't friends by any means. Yet, years after that, we "met" again at a mutual friend's house, as we watched Pirates of the Caribbean. You had just broken up with a long distance girlfriend, and I had been single for awhile...and was not looking for anything. You sat down next to me and kind of flirted with me...and I wasn't sure what to think. It wasn't until 4 months later, though, that you made your "move". I was getting out of class at the community college and I got a text that said Hey. I replied, asking who it was, to find out it was you. You proceeded to ask me what I was up to...and we found out we had both just gotten out of class at the same college. You were with your buddy at Panda Express and asked me if I wanted to join you...and I did. It was a pretty enjoyable lunch...even though I was very self-conscious of the ridiculous shirt I was wearing and how horrible my hair looked. We found each other on Myspace (that dates us a little, doesn't it?) and started talking on AIM (oh, the good ol' days). You asked me on a date...which we went on three days after that Panda lunch. You picked me up...and we were both wearing green shirts (it was pretty funny). You took me to a small Mexican restaurant. We had a wonderful time. You were leaving that day for a winter camp with your church's youth group and told me you would call me when you got back...and you did. We went to your friend's house and hung out with some people, and then went to Starbucks and hung out with them there. When you drove me home, we held hands and we pretty much decided to date. Then...about a week later, you called me up and said you didn't think it was right for us to be together...and we broke up. I was devastated. Yet, we remained friends.
We went on a trip to Disneyland with L.B. and C.M. and hung out with some fun people down there. It was one of the best trips I've been on. We went to Magic Mountain the first day, Disneyland the second, and the beach and thrift shopping the third. Our friends came back with us and we went to Yosemite the next day...and they went to San Francisco the day after. It was a fun trip...and I could tell that you still sort of had feelings for me. Two weeks later, we went to meet your best friend's girlfriend where she lived and had dinner together at the Red Robin there...and on the way home, you put your arm around me the whole way home. You insisted your friend drop us off at your house so you could take me home yourself...and you had your arm around me the entire way to my house. Then, when we were in front of my house, you kissed me, and I asked if that meant things were different. We began dating again and spent time together as much as we could. We were together for about a month...in which time I met most of your family and got invited to your brother's wedding...and then you broke up with me again. You were nervous, as you admitted later, because you knew I really loved you...and you weren't ready for that kind of relationship. So, we spent the rest of the summer apart. We were still friends (amazingly enough) and you told me about all the girls you were dating. It was hard for me to hear, and I would get pretty upset at times, but I was glad we were still talking. I was hoping that some part of you would change your mind and you'd want to be with me again. But, after awhile, I started liking someone else...and started pursuing a relationship with him. I thought things were going great with him...and then he told me he was dating someone else...and I was back to being single.
You told me a couple of different times during those four months that you wanted to get back together with me...but then you'd change your mind. You even told me once that your dad told you that you were stupid for breaking up with me, because he thought I was the girl you were supposed to marry...and you told me, "Well, if you like her so much, YOU marry her!" (Something I laugh about now) Yet, something must have changed in your heart at some point.
I remember being in Starbucks with L.B., doing our homework, and a friend you two went to high school with walked in. He was asking about you, so she decided to text you to see what you were doing. She invited you down to Starbucks and you came...and my heart skipped a beat. There was something different about you that day...something different about that interaction. But, you left...and she and I left...and my day went on. I got home and you were on AIM. You told me that you had feelings for me again and wanted to know if I still felt that way (which, of course, I did). You wanted to get together that evening, so you asked me to meet you at a park by your house. So, I met you there and we kissed on the bottom of one of the slides...and the rest is history.
We were engaged a little over a year later...married a little over a year after that...and are celebrating our third year of marriage in a little over a week.
We have had good times and bad...we've experienced births, deaths, and everything in between. Yet, our love has remained strong and God has been so faithful to us. I know He orchestrated our relationship...because He made everything work out perfectly. We both know if we would have stayed together from day 1, we probably wouldn't be married. We needed those months apart to know what we were missing.
You are my rock, my encourager...you lead me...and correct me when I'm wrong...and love me no matter what. You are amazing...and I'm beaming so much right now thinking about our love story. Even though it's a little muddy...I think it's the best love story we could ever have. These almost 6 years of being together have been such an amazing journey...and I can't wait to see where God is going to take us in the next six...and the six after that...and the hopefully many sixes after that...
I love you so much, dear Joshua, and I hope you know that.