My Valentine

With Valentine’s Day right around the corner, I can’t help but to reflect on mine and Ryan’s relationship.

I am so glad I allowed the Lord to lead and guide me throughout the years when it came to dating and relationships. I am thankful for parents that set boundaries for my sisters and I at a young age. At the time, I thought it was unfair. My parents wouldn’t allow my sisters and I to date until we were 16. I wasn’t boy crazy but just seeing my friends have boyfriends, going to dances, and have boy-girl parties was appealing. In a way I felt like I was missing out. Looking back, I can only think that my parents were trying to protect us so that we wouldn’t make decisions that we weren’t ready for. For me, first should come maturity and then love. Thinking of what all love requires, I wasn’t mature enough then for it.

In college, I set guidelines for myself. I was going to date but when it came to kissing, I wanted to save that for someone special. I wanted it to be with a guy I saw a future with, for more than a date or two. I have a feeling I drove a few guys crazy but I didn’t waver from my guidelines. Like most girls, I had a list that of things I wanted in a guy. Truthfully, my #1 was always for the guy to be a Christian and walk the walk. #2 through ……was that they would have attributes like my dad. I wanted a handsome, an athletic, sense of humor, a guy who can get along with anyone, and more. Later on in life I prayed that he wouldn’t be a picky eater. For me, that is a chef’s nightmare.

I am sharing all of this and more because I learned a lot from my older sister. If you are reading this and are a teenager or college student or a single lady, maybe this can be helpful or an encouragement to you.

I didn’t have to observe my dating status to know that I was different. My friends didn’t understand why I made the decisions  I did or set my guidelines. I had my first kiss in my early 20s. Yes, it is true. Again, I wasn’t giving that away to just any guy. Girls are giving too much away these days.

1 Thessalonians 4:4 That each one of you know how to control his own body in holiness and honor,

1 Timothy 2:9 Likewise also that women should adorn themselves in respectable apparel, with modesty and self-control…

2 Corinthians 11:2 For I feel a divine jealousy for you, since I betrothed you to one husband, to present you as a pure virgin to Christ.

Now, I know this is going to come at more of a shock to you. I didn’t have my first boyfriend until I was 27. Yes, my husband was my first and last boyfriend. I have always been picky when it came to dating. I stayed true to my guidelines and my list. First and foremost though, I allowed the Lord to guide me. I was asked a lot by people before last year, “do you have a boyfriend?” It is one of the questions that people seem to like to ask single people. All the single ladies I’m sure will agree. I prayed a lot before meeting my husband that the Lord would send me my Mr. Right. It wasn’t like I was happy being single, without a boyfriend for so long but I knew the Lord was cooking someone good up for me. The Lord is the best matchmaker.

Speaking of cooking, my husband said when he met me it was Love at first Bite. True story! I was the featured chef at the Plant City Food Bank event. It was my second year participating. There may have been a few people who thought Ryan, my now husband, and I needed to meet. Ryan’s mom was the photographer for the event. She gave Ryan the flyer about me coming to Plant City for the event and mentioned that he should come and meet me. He decided to come which he said was unlike him to do that. Brian West who invited me to come to the event, introduced Ryan to me at the end of the night. Ryan tried my dishes that night so it was love at first bite for him. For me, it was definitely Love at first Sight. I had heard a few people tell me that about their husband or wife and didn’t quite believe it. How could you know immediately that you are in love with someone? It is true though. After less than an hour of caring on conversation with him, I knew he was the One! The crazy thing to me was that Ryan felt the same thing. We got along so well and ended up keeping a long distance relationship. Truthfully, I thought to myself that when I did finally meet Mr. Right that it wasn’t going to be a long dating relationship but that we would be engaged and married in short period of time.

The Lord did nurture our relationship quickly. We met February 7th of last year and were engaged on July 4th and married on November 29th.  February 7th, 2014 has always been a very special date to me. It was one of the happiest days of my life. We just celebrated the anniversary of us meeting each other. It along with our wedding date will continue to be a very special day in our life. The Lord has definitely blessed me with an amazing husband and soulmate. He was my first Valentine and I can’t wait to celebrate Valentine’s Day with my husband this year.

1 John 4:19 We love because he first loved us.