During the not-so-magical age of adolescence, she lay in bed next to her cousin, dreaming out loud about what she wanted from life. She could count on one hand the number of good marriages she knew; marriage wasn’t on her list. All she wanted was sliding glass doors, a boyfriend, and a dog. This was a serious conversation between the dearest friends. There were no giggles, just stare-at-the-ceiling ponderings spoken quietly at night when they were supposed to be sleeping.

Fast forward past the first crush, short-lived, high school romances, and first love. She did learn a few things along the way. She learned how easy it is to lose yourself and get caught up in pleasing someone else. She learned that lust and love are two very different things. One walks beside you, gently holding your hand. The other pulls and drags you to places you don't want to go. Fast forward past regret and repentance.

It was during the scene on forgiveness that she found true love. No, it’s not what you’re thinking, it wasn’t another human, it was God himself. He told her to make a choice. Would she choose her first love; the one she couldn’t bear to be without; the one who was pulling away from God? Or would she choose the love she met as a child; the love that didn’t demand performance; the love she could trust; the love that would help her become who she was meant to be? He was always there when things went wrong, and they often did. She talked to Him when she was afraid, and she often was. She talked to Him often, about things she would never tell a soul. Yes, He was the right choice, and she knew it. But the right choices are not always easy, especially when they follow a string of wrong ones. He comforted her during the many weeks of tears that followed.

And then one day, she stopped crying. She would be hard-pressed to circle that day on a calendar, but it was a day worth remembering. She was getting older. High school was coming to an end. But there was college and a career to think about; and in the back of her mind, there was also one young man. He was a few years older than she was, and their paths had only crossed once or twice. The first time she saw him, he was wearing a black turtleneck that perfectly matched his wavy, dark hair. There was something special about him. She admired his passion for God. Yes, he was handsome, she wouldn’t deny that, but that wasn’t what drew her in. One day, coming home from school, she told a friend how she felt about him, and that friend encouraged her to pray about it. In all the days she had been talking to God, letting go of her sadness, and allowing Him to mend her broken heart, the subject of a new love never came up. She had put God first, above her human need for affection. She was exactly where she needed to be. She was about to be set up by God Himself.  

To be continued…