Our Love Story

In honor of Melanie’s Valentine’s Day link up, I am sharing our love story.  I honestly don’t like the stress placed on Valentine’s Day though.  It reminds me of the commercialization of Christmas, which I despise.  I’m all for an excuse to get dressed up and go out on a date with your hubby.  That is perfectly fine.  But what if I choose not to do that.  Or what if I choose to tell my husband how much he means to me on a different day {much more often than once a year btw}.  I guess what I’m saying is enjoy your Valentine’s Day, but don’t be pressured to do something just because it is Valentine’s Day.

Now onto our story…

I was dropped off by my parents in front of the Mizzou BSU {Baptist Student Union} on my first day of college.  We had just unloaded everything into my freshman dorm room and said our goodbyes.

I walked into the BSU for Freshman Welcome Night not knowing another soul.  I was running late {of course}, so I just snuck into the back and took a seat on the floor.

This guy turned around as I sat down and smiled at me.  My heart fluttered a little.  I smiled back thinking to myself, “Someone noticed me?”

Fast forward a little into welcome night…the whole room was organized into two circles.  The people in the inner circle were facing those in the outer circle.  We were instructed to introduce ourselves and talk to the person across from us in the circle.  I was standing across from this random girl who was standing next to the guy who smiled at me  He was across the circle from another random girl standing next to me.  Well, these two random girls knew each other and decided to cheat the game by talking to each other instead of us.  The guy who smiled at me just shrugged and started talking to me.  We didn’t stop talking the entire evening at Freshman Welcome Night.  I learned his name was Patrick, and I liked him for a friend right away.  I wasn’t interested in dating – I just wanted to figure out the whole college thing first.  I moved away from all my family and friends to go to college.  I wasn’t ready to throw guys into the mix yet.  Besides, it was only my first day.

Patrick and I started spending a lot of time together.  If I wasn’t in class or at work, I was most likely found with him and some of our other newly found friends.

It took us a while to realize that we should call ourselves a couple.  We probably should have realized something was up sooner.  At the end of the first week of school, he asked if I wanted to drive to his parents house so he could do laundry.  {It was only about an hour and 20 minute drive.}  I said sure.  On my first visit home {about a 3 hour drive}, I asked Patrick to come with me.  My parents liked the idea because they didn’t want me to make the drive alone. {I had never driven that far by myself.}  Patrick tagged along for the weekend trip.  That’s when we finally talked about being more than just friends.

On October 14, Patrick proposed to me.  {That’s right, less than two months since we met.}  We took a walk before my evening choir class.  We took a lot of walks around campus.  One of our favorite places to go was up to the top of a parking garage and look at the stars and the campus below.

That’s where he was taking me before class.  I kept telling him I needed to get to class, and I was going to be late.  He kept saying, “Let’s just keep walking,” never telling me where we were going or why.  I could tell something was up, but I didn’t want to be late to class.  So he finally stops in the middle of the sidewalk and proposes.

Funny thing is, he stopped on the sidewalk in between Jesse Hall and the Columns.  It is beautiful lit up at night.  {Click here to see what I mean.}  I like the way his proposal went.  Patrick, on the hand, didn’t like that he had to stop in front of the Columns. He says it’s cliche.  He thought it would be more personal the way he intended it.  I would have said yes no matter what.

We were married the following June.  It will be 12 years this June 24th.

Patrick is the love of my life.

I’m not exactly one to believe in love at first sight.

But I do believe in God inspired relationships.

Patrick and I are meant for one another.

He completes me, and I complete him.

I’m not saying our marriage has been perfectly easy.  We had to learn how to communicate.  We had to learn how to be there for one another.  We had to learn to let God be a part of our marriage.

⁴ Love suffers long and is kind; love does not envy; love does not parade itself, is not puffed up;⁵ does not behave rudely, does not seek its own, is not provoked, thinks no evil; ⁶ does not rejoice in iniquity, but rejoices in the truth; ⁷ bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things.

⁸ Love never fails…

¹³ And now abide faith, hope, love, these three; but the greatest of these is love.

1 Corinthians 14:4-8&13

Probably a little cliche, but this is one of my favorite passages in scripture.  Love never fails.  {I had that written on the napkins at my wedding.  I have it written on my checks.}  It is so true.  God’s love is perfect and will never fail.  If we do things in love modeled after God’s love for us, we will be better people and less likely to fail others.  {Notice I said less likely?  People are not perfect.  We do tend to fail, but we can still love.}  That reminds me of my word of the year:  love.   I truly try to think about that in everything I do.  I try to show love to others.  And I try to catch myself when I’m not being loving.

I have to share a picture of my amazing husband {along with our adorable son}

Enjoy your Valentine’s Day!
Don’t forget to stop by Melanie’s or Ashley’s for the Share the Love Link Up and read everyone’s love stories!

Much love to you all,