(love)

I met him when I was 12 years old. We were just puppy-lovin' hand holders. We dared not look at each other when we crossed paths in the middle school hallway. Come Friday night, though, there were the basement parties at our friend's house where we blared Garth Brooks and slow-danced until the ripe ole time of 9:30pm. We were little devils! Along came 7th grade prom, Valentines, birthdays, and sweetheart I.D. bracelets. Throughout 7th and 8th grade, we stayed true love birds, but one terrible, lonely night at the skating rink said our love was through. 

We went our separate ways when it came to high school, but we always seemed to cross paths and smile. We both attended Clemson University, two small needles in a haystack. We can count on one hand the number of times we actually ran into each other there. 

I moved to Raleigh, NC while he remained in Clemson. The year 2002 called us both home. It wasn't until November of 2006 that I found myself looking for something new. An apartment of my own. My sister was recently married and my favorite roommate didn't need me anymore. I found a perfect little, quaint apartment. This was just the place! I knew I was going to be happy! It wasn't until I met my next door neighbor, only 2 feet away that I realized fate had found me again. It was him. 

By November 2008, we were engaged to be married....and now here we are. Our perfect little family.

At times I wonder why. Why did it take so long for us to find one another again. I'm always reminded about the Lord's refining fire. The Lord leaves us in the fire until we are perfect, flawless, exactly what He needs us to be. Perhaps we were left in that refining fire just the perfect amount of time to be the parents we would soon be. It was a refining fire that prepared us both to glorify our God when in our darkest hour. Yes, that is why. And I don't find myself questioning anymore.