A Girl Falls in Love

For some of you there may be some gaps as to how I became a Mrs.  To know the short version of where the Lord had me right before I met my amazing husband, Brian, you can read it here.   The Lord and I have such a sweet sweet friendship.  It has been full of a lot of a lot of questions on my part but He has always been faithful, patient, and funny.   He has ALWAYS shown up!  

Today is our three month anniversary.  It is funny because I never remember our anniversaries and Brian is always super great about acknowledging them, even when we were just dating.   So in celebration of our 3 month anniversary I will fill in the gaps on how I met and fell in love with the most amazing man.  

Brian works for Young Life.  He is in guest services at Lake Champion (Young Life Camp).  In July 2011 I went to serve as head leader for the month.  Brian may tell this story differently but that would be the inaccurate version.  haha.  I confess that Brian and I had met prior to July 2011.  In March of that year we were together in a room of about 20 for training.  I don't remember him.  He assures me he was there.  So July rolls around and I notice him on Day 1 for the first time.  (If you know YL camping that means I also don't remember him from the Day 0 matrix meeting-oops).  His smile is what got my attention.  I would only see that smile for the next 3 weeks when he was around other people... never around me.  Brian did not smile or even talk when he was around me.  I was convinced he hated me, unwarranted of course.  My co-head leader was convinced he was in love with me.  haha.  Turns out Jason was right!  I would occasionally catch Brian staring at me during meals but I just assumed it was out of hatred not love.  

Skip to end of week 3 and Brian asks me out to dinner.  I was practically blindsided.  Sure he had been coming in on his days off but I just thought he liked being at camp 24/7.  Neither one of us thought dinner was off the charts.  It's true. That part of our story aligns.  It wasn't until two days before I was getting ready to leave (week four, day five) that I thought "this might go somewhere."   Brian and I were sitting on a bench outside that night talking and he said "So where do you see this going?  I'd like to call you or come visit once you leave."  I'm pretty sure I just sat there stunned.  "Sure?"

The night before I left we were "those people" we stayed up late talking and hanging out before I had to leave the next morning.  Brian asked if he could pray for me as things were winding down.  Inside I went a little crazy.  haha.  I had NEVER prayed one on one with a boy before.  Sure maybe a prayer before dinner but NEVER one on one about heart matters or life. I wanted to run but how could I really say "UM no thanks I don't want you to pray for me!"  So I let him.  In that moment I knew I was hosed.  The next morning I was talking to my friend Brooke and I said "I am not saying I'm going to marry him BUT I would love to marry someone like him... the heart of that man!"   He had my heart.  I call it like I see it!

Over the next year Brian came to WV to visit, called non stop, and pursued the heck out of me! He had a heart for the Lord and for me like no other man I've ever met.  His heart is shaped straight from the Lord and I was and still am all about that!

The proposal.

Brian and I met halfway in Pittsburgh at his parents for Easter.  He proposed on Good Friday.  We were outside on his parents porch, I reading people magazine on his computer. He just hanging out (apparently getting up the nerve to ask me to be his wife - who knew).  He went inside to "check on dinner" aka get the ring and then came back out and was acting REALLY strange.  He took the computer from me.  My reaction of course was "Wait Amanda Bynes got arrested!!!"  He was acting so strangely.  He pulled me up. I started to get worried about him.  He said words... they were not coherent.  Then he said "would you be my wife?" and BOOM was on one knee!   I said yes.  Clearly. 

So a year and one week since our official "dating" status we got married.  We now get to spend the rest of our lives attempting to love each other as Christ loved the church.  What does that mean?  Well we're attempting a sacrificial, gracious, patient, kind, meek & gentle, sincere, selfless and serving kind of love.  Some moments are easy, others it takes all we've got.  One thing is for sure we'd fail miserably every time if we both hadn't gotten to (and continually get to) experience it first from Christ.