Two Years Ago Today

Two years ago today Blake asked me out on our first date. I knew it was coming for a bit; and frankly, I was rather terrified. It was my first official, on-purpose date ever. Knowing that he was going to invite me into an intentional relationship challenged my faith in the Lord as never before.

You see, I'm not the average Christian girl who would be simply thrilled to have a guy like Blake express interest. His pursuit required me to trust God with my heart in a whole new way. And it was the Lord I feared. I was learning about His soveriegnty in suffering, and I knew He had no obligation to keep me from pain. I knew that the Scriptures tell us we are called to suffer for His sake, and I knew this was a glorious Gospel call. I was soberly ready to walk it...as long it was on my own terms.

But during the months previous, the Lord had been dismantling these terms and gently stripping my heart of pride and unbelief. He had prepared me for this step of obedience. So it was over a delicious Indian curry dinner and with many tears that I awkwardly accepted Blake's invitation.

What an incredible two years have passed. During that first summer, through lots of spiritual and emotional growth, I became convinced that I wanted to be at this man's side for the rest of my earthly pilgrimage. Blake proposed in October on Minnesota Point in Duluth. (A story that makes the girls say "aww" and guys say "ugh".) A week later I went overseas for two months with an internship team of college students. Two months after that, we were married. Eight days after our first anniversary, we were holding our beautiful twin boys!

"This is the Lord's doing and it is marvelous in our eyes."

Life lessons from these two years:

• Unbelief is clinging to your own inadequacy instead of Christ's sufficiency
• Jesus mediates all pain and pleasure to our hearts well.
• Walking by "faith in future grace" means trusting God can make you what you are not yet. Let Him govern your becoming.
• The Fear of the Lord is a trembling within His safe embrace; it's not a feeble attempt to keep Him at a "safe" arm's length.
• Being obedient is vastly better than merely being "safe".