Fifteen Wonder-full Years!

Today, my wife and I have been married by God's grace fifteen wonderful years! How thankful I am to the Lord for this amazing woman.

I knew I would marry my wife, Kristie, the first time I saw her. It was 1988 and I was a wide-eyed freshman hopeful. My best friend and I were sitting outside on the "brickyard" at NC State University. It was the first night of freshman orientation. We were sitting under the starry sky daydreaming about what college would be like.

By providence, I glanced over my shoulder... and about 20 yards away was Kristie and her roommate for orientation weekend. They were approaching a phone booth to call a friend.

There is a kind of knowingness that sometimes fills every fiber of your soul. This thought flooded my mind: I'm going to marry this woman. I turned to my best friend and said, "You see that woman. I'm going to marry her." He glanced at her... glanced at me... and in the overconfident way teenage young men do things... said, "Go for it."

So I did. At the phone booth, we managed some pleasant hellos. They were calling for a ride and were going to get a tour from a friend of the family. My friends and I returned to the dorm to hand out.

A couple hours later she came into the dorm suite where we were staying. Providence was smiling! We spoke again. She purchased me a Sprite. I thought: "she digs me."

Six times in that 4 or 5 day weekend, we made plans to get together for what I maintain were dates. Six times in that 4 or 5 day weekend, she stood me up!! Ouch! After the 6th time, my teenage ego was pretty bruised.

Then came the kiss of death. We were checking out of the dorm at the end of orientation. Like some fellas who never give up, I decided I would make one last attempt. I asked her for her phone number. Then those words that signal to every male that his game is weak, his plane has taken a nose dive and is spiraling without a chute 15,000 feet toward an onrushing canyon. Those words... "Let me have your number and I will call you." I left that encounter and returned home thinking... yep, this is over.

But providence! She actually called about two weeks later! Our hometowns were about 4.5 hours apart so there wasn't much opportunity to see each other over the summer. And I am so thankful that was the case. We spoke on the phone nearly everyday, sometimes twice a day. A beautiful friendship developed over those couple of months without the nonsense of the dating culture and all the pretenses and pressures that normally accompany it.

When we returned to school, we started dating. We were married as juniors in college on August 31, 1991. Fifteen years ago today, the Lord showed me His favor and granted me a wife perfect for me. In those fifteen years, this woman has saved my life, has taught me virtue, has championed every good thing I've desired, has forgiven me so much and thus modeled the gospel, has grown from being a Tomboy to being a delightfully meek and feminie woman, and has given birth to two sweet daughters, and is now six months pregnant with a third child. You will not meet a woman with more charm, humility, grace, joy, friendliness, strength, love, integrity, patience, meekness, kindness, warmth or intelligence. I praise the Lord for her!

Today we celebrate the kind acts of providence and the joy of being one flesh for the glory of Christ. Today is a wonderful day! Happy anniversary love!