Before I got into the nitty gritty of how we met, our dating story {because, there is one} I wanted to share the back story first. You can read brief descriptions of those events here, but for this series I want to tell you all the wonderful details that make our love story special.
I met my husband on a dreary day in January 2005. It was cold, it was winter in Minnesota. But before I tell you about that day let's go back.
In year before I met my husband I knew God was preparing me. He was revealing things to me about himself that would make me a better person, and a better wife eventually. He was healing me from past hurts from friends and family too, that would allow me to be open to love and be in a relationship as well.
Let's go back to Valentine's Day 2004. I attended a small private Christian college in Minneapolis, I was in my junior year during this time. Just starting the second semester of my junior year. Each day they held Chapel services that we were required to attend. I don't remember every single chapel service I attended throughout school, but I remember this service vividly.
One of the reasons that I remember it was because it was Valentine's Day, and I can remember really wanting to skip it and not go at all. I had a bad attitude about it being Valentine's Day, it seemed like everyone around me was married, or already dating someone. I had gone through a season of being hurt by a guy in my life. Led on emotionally, and still dealing with it.
I didn't want to participate in anything related to Valentine's Day, and the last thing that I wanted to do was go to chapel service and see other couples all around me either. But, I went anyway because I had to.
The part of this day that stuck with me the most was the altar call, I felt a call to respond. I knew I needed some healing in my heart due to some events and emotions that had transpired. And, God knew it too. I remember being there at the altar, and it's one of those moments where I knew God was speaking to me.
He so clearly said;
"Andrea, why doesn't my love overwhelm you?"
Whoa! It was like a reality check, a slap in the face that the one who loves me so much and cares for me so much I wasn't loving and nurturing my relationship with him the way that I needed to. I wasn't overwhelmed by his love, I wasn't pursuing my relationship with the Lord like I should in that season of my life. I knew better, I knew God had more for me that I was giving him at the time.
Instead I was pursuing a boy, pursuing things that were never going to happen with someone who wasn't right for me. Hurting from events that happened with my Father, and instead I was fixated on finding love, and being in love since all my friends were either married, getting engaged or dating someone. Everyone around me was in love, and selfishly I wanted to be too. I felt like I waited "long enough." Why hadn't my prince come?
Instead I was pursuing a boy, pursuing things that were never going to happen with someone who wasn't right for me. Hurting from events that happened with my Father, and instead I was fixated on finding love, and being in love since all my friends were either married, getting engaged or dating someone. Everyone around me was in love, and selfishly I wanted to be too. I felt like I waited "long enough." Why hadn't my prince come?
Well, the truth was I wasn't ready. And the Lord knew it, and he needed to prepare me first.
I needed to heal, I needed to work on myself. I needed to fall back in love with Jesus first and let him reveal some things about his plan for me first.
The rest of that semester was incredible for me. I spent the rest of the semester involved in my classes, working on myself and my relationship with God. More involved in my friendships. I was concentrated on the things that I knew mattered most for that season of my life.
All the while God was preparing me for the future.
I spent that summer in Arizona completing my internship for school. I remember coming back to start my senior year of college feeling renewed for the year ahead. God had done a lot in me during that summer. He'd changed my heart, healed it from hurt, and allowed me to forgive.
Five months later, during the second semester of my senior year on a cold winter day I met Orion; who would eventually become my husband.
Come back next week to hear about how we met & our dating story. It's just getting good.
