I think every girl dreams and imagines what
her future husband will be like, and I was definitely no exception. I vividly
remember daydreaming, wondering what my special man would look like, would act
like, and would treat me like…and as I grew older, I realized I had this “perfect”
image in my mind of what my marriage would be, and how my future husband would
be. The more marriages and relationships I saw, I realized a godly,
faithful, kind, gentle, and selfless husband is a rarity in this day and age. I prayed often that God would protect and direct my future spouse.
And little did I know that at 19 years old, God would bring that “special someone” into my life, who would
forever change my future, and who would help me realize what a big God I serve:
a God that answers prayer, cares about me, and loves to bring joy into my life…far beyond my
wildest hopes.
For me, it was most
certainly “love at first sight”! I was literally blown away by his character,
his love and care for his little siblings, and yes… (Grin)…His amazing good
looks! I know looks aren’t everything, as everyone says, but you do need a lot of
chemistry to fall in love! After becoming friends and learning more about each
other, our love began to blossom, and I realized what a true gem I had in my
fella’! He wasn’t just an ordinary guy, but he was the kind of guy every girl
dreams of calling her own. The more time we spent together, even in texts,
letters, emails, and phone calls, I quickly realized he was my best friend…he
knew me for who I was; I could relax and be myself around him, and he loved me
just the same. I knew I could not live one day without him. We laughed the hardest when we were together. We had the most
fun. We made the best memories; we were completely captivated with each other.
Life had a total new meaning when Chad came into it. He became my hero, the
person I could trust with all my heart, the one I could confide in, the one I
could share my life goals with, the one I knew loved Jesus with all his heart
and loved me. Our fairy tale love story did not take long to start unfolding.
There are some
really tender and special things my mind always goes back to when I think of our
courtship and engagement. Even as a girl, I wondered if my boyfriend would write
me love letters- the kind you read about in princess stories…and little did I
know, I would soon have boxes of well thought out letters that had Chad spent
hours writing and putting all his heart into…tied with ribbons and sealed with
love. As you can imagine, getting the mail became the new highlight and thrill
of my day. Another thing that made me feel so loved and important is Chad’s
selflessness. He would find out what I enjoyed doing most, what made me smile-
whether it was an activity, a gift, or a special act of kindness- and he would
always put me first and himself last. After being married to him for a year, I
realize that is who he is. He constantly strives to please me and make me
happy, never giving a thought to himself or his desires. He continues to amaze
me. He never gets frustrated or annoyed with me, although I know he has plenty of reason to many times. He is always patient with me, and talks through our problems or differences of opinions. I am learning from his example that true love is selfless! It is not about how I can make myself happier or more successful, but rather it is about putting someone before myself and loving them unconditionally.
honeymoon could not have been more enjoyable or beautiful. It was the most
wonderful week of my life, with the most precious person on this earth to me.
Our love for each other has only grown over the past year… we have experienced
hard times, and many happy times, but what matters is, we are going through
life together… hand in hand. We are still learning so much about love, marriage,
and each other, and although it’s been a year since we pledged our lives
together, it almost seems like we are still on our honeymoon. I know I am the
most blessed girl in the whole world, because I am married to the most
wonderful man, and I can’t thank the Lord enough for bringing such a priceless
treasure into my life. I pray God will continue to draw us closer to Himself and
closer to each other. I can hardly wait to begin another year with the man of
my dreams … the man who has my heart forever!