Oh my word. Super excited to introduce to you April from Frugal Homemaking. I am totally going to brag on her a bit. She was an A+ student in school. She was always super sweet in high school and had an obvious walk with God [then and now] -- definitely the girl we wanted to be more like. She has a fun, sweet blog dedicated to her life as a mother -- especially her gift of being frugal. Her love story with her husband, Ben, is amazing. It is truly the working of God that they are married. Their love story is a blessing to me and I know it will be to you, too.
Hi there, I'm April, and I’m pretty excited about guest posting for Rebecca today. We have known each other since my family moved to Chesterton when I was eight, so we go back a bit. Some of the things that I have always loved about Becca is she is just so doggone sweet and supremely classy. Now that we’re all grown up and everything, I have come to enjoy her blog for the words of truth and Biblical encouragement that are obviously an overflow of her life.
Since this week was Valentine’s Day, Rebecca suggested that I share a bit of my love story with you. I’ve never shared it on my blog before, and parts of it are ugly, but God has an amazing way of making ugly things beautiful, doesn’t He?
Ben and I met at Bible college in 2002. He was a junior studying missions, and I was a sophomore in the secondary education program when he asked me to attend a Christmas banquet with him. Ben is the iconic introvert, but I loved his serious, quiet nature that contrasted so sharply with my fun-loving, talkative self. We had a few dates sporadically during the spring semester, but then we traveled together the whole summer of 2002, representing our college in churches across America. By the end of the summer, I was in love and fully convinced he was THE ONE. By November, he had told me he loved me, and the subject of marriage had been broached—a huge development in our little college dating scene. Life was grand, I was in love, and the future seemed certain.
The one thing I hadn’t counted on was parental disapproval. My parents had met Ben, and he had asked my dad’s permission to date me. They had even taken us on a couple dates, and they thought he was a godly gentleman (which he is!) Unfortunately, my dad and Ben had a doctrinal difference that could not seem to be resolved. By December, my dad said he did not want me to continue dating Ben until the issue could be resolved. I knew my dad loved me, and only had my best interests in mind, so I obeyed, but my heart was in full rebellion. That Christmas and for months to follow, I wept bitter, heart-broken tears. Ugly, red-faced, ragged-breath, snot-mingled tears. Angry, fearful, untrusting tears. I cried every day. I could not understand why God was allowing my perfect world to crash so dismally before me. Didn’t God know I had plans? Those plans included serving Him! I had not yet learned that God’s ways are so much higher than our ways.
For the next year and a half, the battle raged. Ben and Dad met more times than they cared to count, trying to come to an agreement. I tried to convince both of them that they believed the same thing, they were just looking at it from two different sides—neither of them bought that coin. Eventually, they both gave up trying to agree. But Ben wasn’t ready to let go of our relationship, nor was I. At the same time, we weren’t willing to trust God with our future either. We began to communicate covertly, and we talked of eloping. Through a series of God-ordained events, it didn’t happen, and I gave up. Like really gave up. I quit trying to work it out. I gave God my hopes, my dreams, my plans. I foresaw my future as a spinster, quietly living out my days teaching school. I did not like it, and I wanted a different life script, but I submitted. I told God He could do whatever He wanted. Unbeknownst to me, God was working in Ben’s heart in a similar fashion.
Amazingly, just ten days later, God gave my dad complete peace about the situation with Ben. He called Ben, and told him we were free to date again. I pretty much floated for the next week. By November 2004, we were engaged, and just a year later, on June 10, 2005, we were married. By the way, Becca played her flute at our wedding!
I’d like to say I’ve learned this lesson of submission perfectly, but I haven’t. Ask Ben. But this history is now a memory that I can recall with confidence in an all-knowing, faithful God. I could not see the end of the story, therefore I failed to trust the One who could. Now I have experienced His goodness, and I know that He loves me, despite what circumstances may scream.
Unlike what this post may attempt to be, my blog is not insightful or theological. It’s just a chronicle of my days as a wife and mom, seeking to create a joyful place of peace on a sufficient but frugal budget. Come by and visit me to see my latest frugal adventures, creations, and stories!
Thanks, Rebecca, for letting me share my story in this happy little place.
Thanks for coming, April!! So happy that you took the time to share with us. Go visit April over at Frugal Homemaking!
