What God Puts Together,

Little girls dream of that special day when they walk down the aisle to be joined with the man of their dreams on their Wedding Day. As little girls, in our innocence we focus on a beautiful dress, the best vail, flowers, and a three tier cake. We give very little thought to the ceremony, or the vows we will take, and the man of our dreams is just that....a made up dream figure. As teens, we lose our hearts and our sanity on a regular basis, based on the cutest and most popular boys. When that first love truly hits us, we can't imagine anything better in our lives. Most times, first loves end, amid heartbreak. Through college and young adult life many dates may come and go, but if God is allowed to be in charge, our perfect mate, soul mate, and best friend will come into our lives, and we are swept away with an unbelievable love.

God was truly in my husband John's and my meeting, and falling in love. In fact before we ever knew each other, God crossed our paths. When I was in fifth grade in Sioux City, Iowa, my class was the first to inhabit the new school two blocks from my house. For that first year our class and the sixth grade from our old school were moved to the new one. That summer they had a day long playground camp at the new school. There were games, crafts, and lots of activities for the neighborhood. John and I attended that summer camp at the same time, and never knew it. It was the only year the school did this. My house was on a street that had an alley behind it, and the other street that backed up to it, was where John's cousins lived. While he visited them we were only one block apart in addition to being on the same playground.

The next connection we had was through one of his good friends in Omaha. He spent time with her and her family while his mother worked near their house. As a result he met her older brother, and the young lady he was going to marry. This young woman would turn out to be my sister. I was adopted, and when I found my birth family, John and I discovered this connection! God had ordained that we be together from before we were born. Because we humans don't automatically know God personally, until we choose to accept Him as Lord and Savior, we sometimes take many paths out of the way of His path for us. That's what I did. For years I went my way, but God is God, and His plan would prevail even if it took awhile. I am so grateful that it finally happened!

From the first time I met John, I was not interested, but he was persistent. Once God stepped in and we went out. It was obvious we were a matched set. Those who know John, know his unique humor, and his heart for people. After our first date, I knew he was special. We talked for hours, we laughed, and enjoyed being together. In three months time, we were engaged! He even got down on one knee to propose. I have to admit that I then panicked and wasn't sure I was doing the right thing. Again God was in control, even though I did not know Him at the time. I never told John how scared I was, because I figured it would go away and I really loved him. I remember we went to a movie with Gene Wilder, which we both loved because of the wacky humor that appeals to us both. The theme song was Taking A Chance On Love. It hit me then and there that this was the right step to take, and I have never regretted it for a minute. Now that I know God, I know He will use even a popular movie and song to relay His plans to us.

Through our years together, we have grown, we have learned what marriage looks like, and we have had so many special times together. Many Anniversaries, we have chosen to eat a quiet dinner at home, we don't need cards, flowers, or gifts, or romantic dinners. Those are nice when they happen, but it is the day to day that matters. We have each other, our family, and friends, but most of all we share the love of Jesus in our lives. We have learned to be content, and to know what is important. Humor has always been a big part, so we laugh often in a day, we enjoy just being together, we care about each other, and we always say "I Love You," many times a day. There have been sad times, bad times, and yet, God brings us through, and even closer knit than we were before. We are in between our Silver Anniversary and our Golden, and each day is a blessing, and a treasured memory!