Once Upon a Time...

As she stood underneath the canopy that sheltered the department store entrance from the pouring rain, she wondered...

Here she was...about to meet some stranger whom she had never seen in person- not even a picture- and supposedly spend the whole evening with him.

Oh yes, she knew what some people would say...to stoop to meeting someone through those dating ads showed signs that you were "just plain desperate".

Was that true? Was she really desperate?
No...she had had her fair share of dates in her life. Even boyfriends.
But then, let's be honest. Turning 30 for a woman who knew she wanted to marry and have children could give a tiny sense of...um...was panic the right word?
No...too strong.
Concern. Yes, that was it.
She had concerns.

Some might also say that by calling an ad someone had placed in the paper that began with, "Christian male, 32..." was not only fool hearty, but just not trusting God enough.
But she had prayed about this whole thing, and it had just seemed right. Was it His leading?
She really had felt that she should reach out a bit more and not just passively sit back and wish.
And because of the fact that by doing something like this felt completely out of her comfort zone, perhaps she was actually having faith... having to step out in faith in all this!

She glanced at her watch as the summer rain continued to splatter over the cars in the parking lot in front of her. He was suppose to meet her here...right here.
But this was not his town, it was hers...so maybe he was a bit lost. Or hung up in traffic. Or...something.

Her thoughts drifted back to their first phone conversation. Somehow, they had seemed to just "click"...and had ended up talking for two whole hours. She remembered thinking, "I may meet this guy and he may not be someone I could ever feel romantic towards, but either way, I think I could definitely be friends with him."

As she pondered all of this, she noticed a young college age guy step out from the department store and stand, apparently waiting for the rain to let up. Somehow a conversation ensued...and it didn't take long to notice that this kid was flirting with her. She smiled and made small talk, as she anxiously peered intently at each passing car, looking for the one her blind date had described on the phone.
"So, you're meeting a date here?" he was saying. "Well, if he doesn't show up, he's an idiot. And you're welcome to go do something with my room mate and me..."
She smiled in spite of herself. She would never go off with this man-child, cute as he was, in a million years. And did this kid who probably just started driving a few years ago even have a clue how old she really was? Despite her now growing anxiety of being stood up, it was a nice ego boost to be flirted with anyway...in the pouring rain...
While she waited.

After declining sweetly his invitation and the young guy made his way into the downpour bidding her good luck, she glanced at her watch again.
Just how long should a gal wait, anyway? Some people now days had mobile phones, but neither she nor Mystery Man owned such a luxury.

Just when she was about to call it a day, she noticed a little car drive by very, very slowly in front of her, the driver seeming to peer questioningly at her. She knew in that split second that this was him...and hurried over to the passenger side as the car completely slowed to a stop.

She heard him say her name as a question, just as she was simultaneously asking his name.
Something about him immediately seemed like an old friend.
And on top of that...oh yes...he was kind of cute...
He explained that all this time, he had been waiting at the other entrance. Yep, there was indeed more than one, and they had each been patiently waiting at the opposite ends.

Having planned to eat at a restaurant right there at the mall where they were meeting, she was actually getting into the car with him to drive over, without even thinking.
That was breaking RULE #1 in meeting strangers....and it completely went against her cautious personality!

But somehow...somehow she just kind of knew.
Knew what, she had no idea...

But on that rainy fourteenth of August, fifteen years ago today, it was actually the beginning of an adventure that would last for the rest of their lives.



Happy 15th Anniversary of the Day we met, Sweetheart.