Tuesday Talk #19: Our Love Story (a blog hop)

Joining the other Tuesday Talk hosts by sharing our love stories today! I hope you will join us! 

If God is still writing your love story, I hope you will take heart and hope from the stories shared. I didn't get married until my late twenties, learned the joys and struggles of the single life all too well, and went through a few heartbreaks (including a broken engagement) along the way to my 'happily ever after.' And even though love and marriage are incredibly beautiful and leave me humbled and grateful for my husband and our journey together...in the end, the only real happily ever after is with our Savior in Heaven, for "to fall in love with God is the greatest of romances." -G. K. Chesterton

But without further ado, I decided to share just one chapter of our story today: how we met.

It was a gorgeous midsummer day and I was helping my brother with the music for church at his university parish. He was their summer musician and invited me to sing with him for Mass one weekend. 

Afterwards, there was an annual parish picnic and reunion for the current and past college students and parishioners. Not one to pass up on a cookout and festivities, I stuck around after Mass. I sat down with a plate of food at the nearest table with an empty spot. (When my husband tells the story, he insists there were plenty of other seats and that I purposely chose that spot.)

Little did I know I had just sat down across from my future husband: the new campus minister.

He was looking pretty hot that day. Typical campus/youth minister, I thought. Athletic, good-looking, outgoing. Even spikes his hair in the front a little. I was not impressed. I had a preconceived notion that youth ministers tend to have an ego and don't necessarily ever grow up.

But my future husband was quite smitten with me. He took every opportunity to talk with me and I enjoyed our conversations but was actually oblivious that he was singling me out. 

Maybe that's because I was dating someone else at the time!

The next day P. (my husband) proceeded to tell his new friend (who also worked at the university church) all about this amazing girl he had met. His new friend smiles and says, "oh, you must have met my girlfriend Laura." 

Silence. 

Yep. I was dating the other guy, who had been out of town the day of the picnic. My hubby was shocked and embarrassed and mumbled something about how he wasn't sure and then ended the conversation. 

It's one of our favorite stories to tell, and P. tells it a lot better than I do-- I love hearing his version of it!! 

Obviously, things gradually moved in his favor (and mine!) over time. A few months later, I broke up with the other guy after realizing he wasn't my Mr. Right. A few months after that, there was a mission trip my little brothers were going on with the university church group and they needed another chaperone over the age of 25 (I had just turned 25!). I was excited about the idea of a mission trip and needed something like that after a long winter. I talked to the campus minister (yep, my hubby!) and he was all about the idea of me chaperoning. Wink, wink. He even accommodated me so well by making sure I was in his van on the drive. 

Long story short, by the end of the trip, I was head over heels. I couldn't believe how I had failed to see how incredible this man was! He was charming, handsome, funny, deeply spiritual, and an amazing leader! No one had ever given me butterflies like he did and does! Thankfully, he was still smitten with me and we started dating the week we returned! 

We had our ups and downs throughout our relationship, and even a few breakups, as we discerned where God was calling us and whether or not that was together. But God worked through everything and on May 22 of last year, we began our journey together for the rest of our lives as husband and wife. Marriage has been very, very sweet. We chose to save sex and living together for marriage and it's just been indescribably beautiful to live out this sacrament the way God intended (but we're still very much two sinners trying to get to Heaven!). His plan is always so good, so joyful, and so rich with beauty and grace. 

Here's to 50 more years! ;)

Here's a picture someone took of us at the church picnic the day we met. We were playing a crazy game with the college students. (The photographer says she totally knew we'd get together someday.) 

Laughter -- one of the necessary ingredients for a good marriage!

Want to read the rest of the stories?

Beth at Our Pretty Little Girls  //  Becky at BYBMG

Jessica at Sweet Little Ones  //  Emily at Raising Barnes

Stephanie at Wife Mommy Me  //  Stasia at Our Life on a Budget

Sarah at Abiding In Grace  //  Ruthie at Rear. Release. Regroup.

Laura at Life Is Beautiful  //  Christina at Waltzing In Beauty

Michelle at Grammie Time  //  Tina at Go Big or Go Home

Whitney at Polka Dotty Place

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