Tuesday, August 08, 2006

8 Years - I Might Be Glowing

Today marks the 8th anniversary of the day I married my wife. God has blessed me with a woman who is truly my best friend. Allow me to tell our story. Some of you may not believe it, the way I tell it, but it is the truth.

It was the end of October 1997 and I was working as the youth minister at the West Chicago Church of Christ. I was 22 and single, the only person my age was the minister's son. Although I love Jon, he was not a great dating prospect, and he had a circle of friends that I did not really fit with so although we watched 90210 together faithfully, we were by no means going to end up as best buddies.

Needing friendship and companionship in peers, I went to the Axis service at Willow Creek and then joined a medium sized group to meet some friends. I found myself in a circle of friends very quickly inside this medium sized group. We were all the "long haired hippy freaks." Our group became very close knit very quickly. I had made a great group of friends, and my emotional needs were being met.

A Side Note: I did not actually have long hair at this time. I was unshaven wore a backwards ball cap and a long trench coat that looked like it belonged on Sherlock Holmes. It was definitely a "hippy" look, one just needs to remember we hippies were in the "grunge" phase of wardrobe and music.


At this point in my life, I had not dated in over a year. I was healing emotionally from the person I was. I was a horrid person to be in a relationship, and I knew I had to get myself emotionally healthy before I could be in an emotionally healthy dating relationship.

Side Note Two: Jeni, my best friends wife, asked me the first time I played Jewel's "Foolish Games" (no one knew who Jewel was at the time) if the singer was an ex-girlfriend.
So here I was still working on getting my emotional house in order, and having a great time in this new circle of friends when in to my life walks this new young lady...

Another Side Note: My wife is STUNNING beautiful. I am oft filled with pride at the attention she gets when we go out. When she enters a room EVERY GUY'S eyes are drawn to her and so you may believe that what happend next is not accurate, but I assure you it was supernatural event unlike any other I have ever experienced.
When this young lady entered that room, that night, at Willow Creek my eyes were immediately drawn to her, she was AMAZING. Then something more happend. I heard a voice. The voice was pastoral and loving, it did not boom, it did not whisper, the voice just spoke, "Kevin, Behold Your Wife!" I questioned the message, but I did not doubt the reality of having heard it. It was an event unique in my life. A voice which I believe was God Almighty speaking audibly to me, I was Awestruck.

The room was filled with circles of people. There were probably 8 to 9 groups in the room, and all had chairs available. She looked around and immediately walked over and joined our group...

I'll stop there, more of the story next year...

I could not imagine being happier in my life. God knew what he was doing!!! We will be having our third child, our first son, any day now. There is a completeness to my life that she brings so perfectly.

Lord Byron's "She Walks In Beauty" has been a favorite poem of mine since my freshman year of highschool when I first read it. It rings so true that I will quote here:

3 comments:

gerbmom said...

Congrats! And let me know when your son is born!

gerbmom said...

Why can't I leave a frickin comment on your My Space? Aargh! I keep trying to no avail. Here's the comment I tried to leave.....

Another LOST fan? Cool!
Has baby arrived yet?


Later!

Niki said...

You cannot leave me hanging like that!!! I love this...PLEASE elaborate a bit more! I can't wait to meet her and your beautiful kids. 3 changes everything - you'll be outnumbered for the first time. (I know, remember?)