Chalk It Up ~ Today Makes 9!

 

He had me from, “Hey babe, how you doin’?” in his forward Minnesota accent, baggy sweats, and package of powdered donuts in hand as we crossed paths in the Larch dorm C-store our freshmen year. This was one of the many dozens of times that we would just happen to ‘run into each other’ with no one else around….the elevator, the bus stop, outside the computer lab. Eventually we got past the surfacy flirting and who I had envisioned was a tough, I-don’t-give-a-rip, bad*** :) turned out to be a man with the utmost character that has never been matched in my life.

In the beginning I was attracted to Jake because he was everything I wasn’t. He was bold, outgoing, aggressive, and confident of who he was. I was shy, reserved, and searching for identity. He could be in the most awkward situations and was always able to strike up a conversation or make things feel smooth, whereas I would prefer to crawl under the table or avoid those situations at all costs. He was not a people pleaser. He was who he was, and if you didn’t like it, well, it didn’t bother him a bit. For so many years I had been enslaved to the approval and opinions of others, but as Jake’s care-free, self-assured personality began to rub off on me I found such freedom and relief in it. There was also a committed certainty about Jake that gave me such peace. Jake wasn’t going to leave me when the next best thing came along. He wasn’t going to give up when he got tired of dealing with the ‘messed up’ parts of me. He wasn’t going to run from my scars or give me more. As we dated God kept whispering that I needed to hold onto this one for that very powerful reason – this was a man of commitment who would defend my honor.

Today, as we chalk up another year to our marriage, I cannot say enough about how my husband has led and challenged me out of my shallow faith and into a thrilling, radical, tried-and-true faith that brought me out of my comfortable little bubble. Those of you who know him well can also testify that Jake is not going to pat you on the back and tell you what you want or expect to hear. He will challenge your perspective and speak God’s truth in such a way that it is maddening (b/c you know he’s right!) and inspiring at the same time! I am thankful for this man who leads our family down unbeaten paths to experience the glory and power of God. Through it, our love story has also become a God story….and I find it rather exciting that it’s still being written! Today makes 9 years of “I do” and “I still do”!