The Story of Us

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He took my breath away the moment I laid eyes on him. He was the epitome of “the bad boy,” and I knew it immediately.  In my teenage wisdom, I was certain there was good in him and he was so worth the risk.  Thirteen years later, I can tell you now that I was right. But it was certainly a very long, rough road to get to where we are now.

We met in my parents’ living room my senior year in high school.  I was “dating” his best friend at the time, but soon found myself much more interested in Hubby.  We had the best first date ever, and I felt completely free to be myself with him, which was such a breath of fresh air to a young lady constantly feeling the pressure to please everyone.

It was a whirlwind romance, even by the best descriptions.  Needless to say, my parents were not pleased when their seventeen-year-old daughter came home with a ring on her finger and great plans to get married rather than attend college in the upcoming fall.  The long and the short of it is that all parties involved made some not-so-great decisions, and the end result was our eloping in December after I graduated high school in May.

We were so very young, but determined to conquer the world together… at least until the reality of our situation set in.  I was eighteen years old, and he was twenty-one.  I had lived a sheltered life, and he was raised with very few rules and expectations.  I knew I was saved and had been called to full-time Christian service.  He had made a profession of faith after meeting me, but soon decided it wasn’t for him and reverted to his old ways.  It was an explosive situation, to put it extremely mildly.  Again, there were so many mutual mistakes, poor choices, and immature actions… more than enough blame to go around (a few times over).

By our second wedding anniversary, there was not very much to celebrate, and we were separated within a month afterward.  God had blessed us with a precious baby boy, though neither of us was really ready for that blessing and responsibility.  He was six months old when his home and family fell apart.  It soon became my mission in life to be a good mother, no matter what.  Hubby won’t mind me telling you that that conclusion was the farthest thing from his mind at the time.  While I had to grow up nearly overnight, he chose to sew a few more wild oats first.

After four years of changes, four years of separation, four years of going our own ways, the Lord saw fit to once again bring us across each other’s path.  Hubby was gloriously and miraculously saved and seemed to want nothing more than to be the husband and father God had called him to be.  Between raising my sweet boy on my own and attending a four-year college as a single mom, I had learned alot about life – and about myself.  Though hesitant at first, I soon shared the same desire as my husband… I wanted nothing more than to see our family reunited and moving forward for the Lord.

Our second wedding was so symbolic of the miracle God had worked in our lives.  We chose specific vows, songs, and Scriptures to illustrate the journey of life we had walked to get to that point.  We even included our little son in the ceremony to show that we were all reconciled to each other.  It was a beautiful day, but more than that… it was a miraculous reunion.  Our family was whole was again.

Our Miracle Day – 2002

Nearly eight years later, and many more life lessons learned, we are still moving forward – but we also never forget to look back.  Had we not walked through the Valley, the Mountain-top would not seem so sweet.  We are still so very far from perfect, believe me!  But knowing the heartache and trials we have survived makes us so much stronger together.  And knowing the pain of separation makes us appreciate the togetherness so much more.  Today we are partners – in life, in love, for better or worse.  Today we are a family, blessed with two more children since our reunion.  Today, and forever – Lord-willing – we are a miracle.

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Tagged as: Family, Love, Reunion