Wednesday, March 20, 2013

God's Timing Is Perfect



Last night Craig and I were talking and the conversation drifted to when we first met each other. It's really amazing how it all came about, and to look at it now, it's obvious that in order for our lives to turn out the way they have, God's hand had to be on us so that we would meet at just the right time.

I had just given complete control over my dating life to God. After being in an abusive relationship for over a year, and after spending a few months falling in love with a man who lied to me about having a wife at home, I had made the decision that I was finished with online dating. It had only caused me pain and heartache. I knew that God had a plan for me, and that He didn't want me to be single forever. I resigned myself to wait on His plan to come to fruition in my life.

As a demonstration of my faith, I began writing letters to my future husband. At first, writing the letters was awkward. I didn't really know what to say. However, isn't that exactly what happens when you meet someone for the first time? I started by introducing myself and telling him that I was praying for him. I wanted him to know that I loved him and that I was setting myself aside for him until God brought him into my life. As I wrote, I grew to learn all about this man who would be my future husband. Certain details became clear to me. I knew that he lived in the Binghamton, NY area. I knew that he had blue eyes. I knew he was tall with dark hair. I was beginning to fall for him. I thanked God for revealing these little details to me. I knew that when I finally met him, I would know it was him. That was such a blessing God gave me, especially after all that I had been through.

I remember the day that I felt God telling me to go online and look for this man. He told me to go to a specific website: relationships.com. It's not even an active site anymore. He told me that I would find him there, and that he would have contact information snuck into his profile, so I wouldn't have to pay anything to talk to him.

I went onto the site and when I saw him, my heart jumped into my throat. He was so handsome. I knew he would have blue eyes...but I didn't know they would be so beautiful and bright. I saw the contact information in his profile and since it was a Yahoo ID, I assumed that he must use Yahoo messenger. I sent him an instant message, and then I waited.

Little did I know, he didn't use Yahoo messenger. He had put his email address in his profile. Even so, God is greater than our assumptions. The next day, he was emailing with another girl and she asked him to install Yahoo messenger so they could talk there. He did install it, and when he did, my message popped up on his screen. He answered me, and we started talking. We talked for two hours online that day, during which time I became so engrossed in our conversation that the dinner I was making caught fire in the kitchen and I had to go put it out with a fire extinguisher! At that point, I signed off and gave him my phone number. He called me soon after, and we made arrangements to go out that coming Saturday night.

Each day leading up to Saturday, we would text each other and talk on the phone. Our anticipation was growing, and I could not wait to meet this amazing man.

Saturday arrived and I took my kids to my parents' house early that day. I wanted to give myself plenty of time to get ready for what I was sure was going to be the last first date I ever had. I baked him some cookies and then got ready for my date. When he called to say he was going to be a little late because he was helping some friends move, I wasn't sure if I should be relieved or disappointed because I was so nervous.

As it turned out, he was only about a half an hour late, and part of that was because he stopped at the grocery store down the street to buy me three white roses. He parked his car across the street from my house, and I watched him through the window as he crossed and approached my front door. I let him in and I couldn't believe how good he smelled. When I looked into his eyes, I knew he was my future husband. He asked me if he could have a hug, and I wrapped my arms around him. I had never felt anything so wonderful in all my life. He held me so tight, and it felt like I belonged in his arms.

That night was the beginning of the most amazing relationship I have ever known, apart from my relationship with God. We instantly became a part of each other's lives. After our date (which lasted 24 hours, only because of an ice storm), it became clear that we were meant for each other.

God's timing is perfect.

God used Craig to save me and my little family. My son Matthew was beginning to get out of control. At four years old, he was disobedient and headstrong. I was suffering from a back injury, and punishing him was difficult for me. Cassidy was beginning to display the effects of not having her father present, and at seven years old, I had already gotten phone calls from her teacher that she was chasing the boys around the classroom and the playground. Craig's transition into our family was seamless. The kids treated him like a dad, almost from the beginning. He treated them like his kids from the beginning too.

Little did we know, as our dating relationship progressed, there was a woman closer to Craig's home city who was pregnant with his child. A mistake he had made the month before we met resulted in a pregnancy. Craig had been starting down a road that might have led to him backsliding in his faith. When he met me, he says I helped him realize the type of man he wanted to become. He placed God back in the center of his life, and we began planning our future together. Of course, we were still unaware of the baby that would soon be born.

God's timing is perfect.

It was a whirlwind romance. We got married in June that year, and planned a larger celebration wedding for August. We took our honeymoon in August as well, venturing to Florida and embarking on a Caribbean cruise while we were there. Upon our return home, we had to get ready to move into another house. Only three days after our honeymoon ended, we would be moving.

After we moved to our new home, Craig was in the backyard when he received the phone call telling him he had a son. He was devastated. He thought he had been so careful. He didn't want to have to deal with having a child to another woman. What's worse, he had no idea how I was going to react. Would his indiscretion tear our family apart?

God's timing is perfect.

When he told me about the phone call, I remember he had asked me to sit down. He was pacing in our driveway and shaking like a leaf. He told me the news and I took him in my arms. I told him that I loved him and I also told him that sometimes when people have sex, the result is a baby. I asked him if I could call the mother and reassure her that we would help her in any way that we could.

To this day, JJ remains a blessing to our family. He's five years old now, and when he comes to visit the energy in our house doubles in intensity. That's okay. We love him to pieces, and I'm so glad that God gave us this little surprise.

Can you see how God's hand worked through all of this? Not only was God orchestrating every minute of our connecting online, but he also orchestrated our relationship and facilitated our marriage before Craig found out about JJ. Every little piece of the puzzle had to be there in order for it to work.

God is so good. I'm so glad that he's in control of my life and that he gave me the most incredible family I could have ever asked for. God has a plan for each and every one of us. If you're reading this and you don't know Jesus as your Savior, you're missing out on that incredible plan. Let God write the rest of your life story. His endings are so much better than ours, because...

God's timing is perfect. 

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