The Comfy Brown Couch

 

for Chad

 

 

In 2015, I wrote an article titled The Old Wooden Bench.  At the time, I was a single mom of two children. I discussed some of the hardships of being a single woman with a desire to be married. Please go back to my previous post and read it first so this makes more sense. The following article is an update of how life can change quicker than a snap of a finger when God rules your life and He says it’s time.

My heart raced as my car inched closer to his driveway. “What if there’s no chemistry?” “What if we have nothing to talk about?” “Have I set myself up to be let down again?”  These are all questions that fumbled around in my mind as I prepared to meet my blind date on that scorching June day in 2015.

What I didn’t know was that date would turn out to be the best one I’d ever had.  Hours seemed like minutes as we talked about life, children and goals for the future. When the hot summer sun gave way to the light of the moon and it was time to say good-bye, I knew I found someone special.

For several years prior, I cried out to God more times than I can count. I had the deepest desire for a companion.  One date after another always fell through and I asked myself what I was doing wrong. I questioned whether I would remain single for the rest of my life. There were times I felt God ignored me and times He spoke so loudly it was as if He were standing right next to me. Throughout all the highs and lows of those years, there was one thing I had no choice but to do. One thing the Lord constantly spoke. I needed to abide in Him and wait. My character was still being developed and my walk with God was still in infancy stage. 

Those who know me, know I’m not the most patient person around. I vividly remember getting off the bus the first week of kindergarten and crying to my mom because I had to stand in line for lunch. I didn’t like to wait then and it hasn’t gotten much better with age. Of course my creator knows this fact too and on many occasions has reminded me that He is just giving me what I prayed for-more patience.

Had I not gone through that time of learning how to trust and depend on the Lord, I wouldn’t be the person anyone was looking for and I wouldn’t be the wife I thought I was ready to be.

This past year has been such a magical, love story.  The blind date turned into a budding romance. Our relationship has been a natural progression from courtship to becoming exclusive to meeting each other’s children.  This has all transpired under the guidance of Jesus Christ. His hand has been at work the entire time and I continue to be grateful for this answered prayer.

A lot of women have that little girl that still lives inside her.  The one that longs for the fairy tale.  To meet her prince and live happily ever after. On Easter Sunday of 2016, that deep rooted dream became a reality when my boyfriend asked me to be his wife. Words can’t express the joy of knowing I will get to spend the rest of my days with the love of my life.

Does all this mean we haven’t hit a few bumps? Of course not. We have faced opposition and will continue to in some capacity.  It also doesn’t mean that when we are married all problems will fade away.  In fact, blending two families together will more than likely prove to be a challenge. However, our union will be one of strength and endurance and only because God, who is credited with crossing our paths, is our foundation.

We will always be in a season of waiting on something. It could be:

A mate.

Children.
A less stressful job.

A clean bill of health.

Lamentations 3:25 says: The Lord is good to those who wait for him, to the soul who seeks him. We won’t always get what we want when we want it but God knows best what we need.  He rewards those who are faithful and His gifts will always be better than anything we could ask for or imagine.

The rotted wooden bench was restored and now shines from the front porch of my home. It symbolizes  what Jesus has done in my life. Funny thing is, my fiancé and I have never sat on that bench together.  We spend more time on his comfy brown couch and I wouldn’t have it any other way.