J+J, (T.I.E.)

Carrie has asked us to share about how we met our husbands, so here I am on Valentine's Day, telling our story.

I would guess that I met the Skipper when I was 18. I think he moved from Ontario, Canada into our area around the time I was getting ready to go off to bible college. He seemed like a nice, wholesome guy who drove a really ugly diarrhea brown Ford truck with a canopy. I was involved in a long term relationship with my older, less than stellar boyfriend, and didn't take much notice of this nice guy. I don't believe that he took much notice of me either as he is the kind of guy who doesn't eye up taken women.

Anyhoo, not much to tell except that I went on with my life- married my boyfriend when I had just turned 20, has my daughter, we moved away, had another child, and was on my own again by age 25. I remember being really ticked off that I had wasted 11 years on Mr Wrong, who went and got a skinny girlfriend when I was pregnant with our second and left when our babe was a couple of weeks old. Just in case you are wondering, this post is not going to be a sob story about that situation. What I am getting at was that at that point I felt unlovable and so, so unwanted and undesirable. I believe that God brought the Skipper back into my life to show me what He really wanted me to experience all along- love, acceptance, and the knowledge that in his eyes (and the Lord's) I was beautiful- stretch marks, freckles, and all.

When I moved back to my hometown, the Skip and I began spending time together after a while (he used to come to Easter? Christmas family dinners, and we attended the same church), and things developed from there. He did some really sweet things that made my heart melt, like making me tea and carrying heavy stuff, etc. I made a list of all my criteria in a future man, and he met every one of them- dependable, trustworthy, etc. I considered the kids and I a package deal and loved that he considered this as obvious.

His family was just so loving and accepting. They live way east of us, so I only met them a couple of times before we were married. Can you imagine meeting your son's girlfriend who had a 4 year old and a toddler on her hip and was still breastfeeding??? There are some good girls who are in that situation- we all need to remember that before we judge! Would we show as much grace? I HOPE I would. On August 11, 2001, we were married in a beautiful outside garden that my cousin and I designed with help from friends and family, danced the night away, and had a feast of crab at midnight.

Sometimes when I look back ( I actually discovered a pic of the Skipper sitting in the back of the church during my first wedding. He came as the date of a girl I grew up with), I wish that my detour down the road of rocky relationships had never ocurred. I wonder what would have happened if I had dumped Mr Wrong after one of his flings when I was 18, and had dated the Skipper then. BUT, I know that I learned a lot during those years that has made me a much better wife and partner the second time. I thank the Lord that He can take our bad choices and still work them out for good! I thank God that He is the God of second chances!