So this is love.
I just wanted to share a blessing with you! God is sooooo faithful! He is provider! Caretaker! King! He knows us better than ourselves! He has so richly and abundantly blessed me-I just have to share and encourage you!
First off: God hears our prayers! God answers our prayers! Granted, sometimes he answers with “No” or “Wait” but, he still answers! Sometimes, he answers with the most beautiful “YES!” too! So, do not EVER give up praying or doubt God! 1 Thessalonians 5:17 says, “To always be joyful. Pray continuously and give thanks for whatever happens! This is what God wants for you in Jesus Christ! Do not hold back the Holy Spirit!”
In 2003, when my parents go a divorce, I started praying for my future husband. Never in my great list of expectations, qualities or dreams did I ever expect such a blessing as what God has given me.
Justin is by far the greatest blessing I have ever received in my life (other than Jesus!). He is such a living testament to 1 Corinthians 13: 4! He is so patient…..and by patient, I MEAN EXTREMELY. I realize that I can be a tough cookie to handle. But never once has he given up on me or gotten frustrated. He is incredibly patient. I know this is true just from our past but I am also confirmed in it by him patiently and faithfully waiting on me this year! Wow. Thank you! He is ever so kind! He is not jealous! He knows I love the Lord more than him and he is completely humbled in that! He did not try to stop me from doing the Worldrace but encouraged me to be obedient to the Lord. He is the most humbled person I have ever met and he does not brag, boast or or get cocky. He is not for himself. He is never ever ever rude to me in anyway. He is by far the most selfless person I have ever met.(Really!! Who else would unload an entire trailer, haul it up a flight of stairs and move everything I own in the middle of the night?! Selfless. Pure and simple!) He is extremely slow to anger and has tons of grace! (Seems like I mess up a lot but ever once does he discount me for it!) When I do mess up..or…forget…or..get frustrated.. Or me myself am selfish.. He never holds any of that against me. Justin is love! Justin has pushed me into a new degree and level of holiness, obedience and purity. He does not take pleasure in evil but rejoices in truth. Justin patiently accepts all things! Justin makes me feel like the most beautiful and perfect woman on this earth. He does not see what I see when I look into the mirror. He is so understanding about my family, my past and my history. He accepts and loves me for who I am and for where I am at! He accepts my dreams and goals as his own. He is always faithful, trusting, hoping and forever. Justin never fails. He never ends.
So many times, I see the how Jesus loves me by the way that Justin loves me. It is incredible.
Justin always wants what is best for me. He always puts me before himself. I knew that he was the one I would have for the rest of my life when one day, I was just ill and complaining about everything.. And I had slipped into one of my “if only” moods.. “If only I looked like her…or if only I had her personality…if only my family was normal… if only this.. If only that.. . If only I did this…if…if…if…”
Justin just took me into his arms and said that love is not based on the “ifs” in life. Love is not conditional and that he would love me through it, in it and with it for the rest of his life. He loves me just for who I am and with no other compromise or contradictions. Love is not conditional.”
*And all the ladies said, “Awww!”*
I know! Sometimes I am convinced that Justin is the hopeless romantic straight out of the movies.
He is so perfect.
I just love him so very much!
I do not want to repeat myself, so, immediately after you read this blog, go read “So…sew!”
Justin is one of the most influential things that keeps me on the race… ironically enough. I thought about it and I figured that it was better to have one year without Justin and gain ninety with him…then to not be obedient and give Justin this year instead of God and end up losing eighty. And by that, I mean.. I would rather let this year be a year of growth, development and identity in Christ and know that God will forever bless our marriage and life together….then to not be obedient and lose Justin all together. We both have to make Jesus the Lord of our lives and let God sit in the throne of our hearts and ultimately …not each other. I think that is why so many divorces occur… they are not built on a strong foundation, much less, built upon the Lord. So, I trust that God sees both of our obedience and dedication to Jesus that he will just pour out blessings for us in the long run. We are starting our lives right by trusting, following and being lead by the Lord and nothing else. And that is pretty darn exciting!
So, when it gets hard, frustrating, uncomfortable or just ripped all apart, I trust that the Lord brought me to the Race for several, several reasons! One reason is to fall deeply and helplessly in love with Jesus.
That why, I am able to fully surrender and fall into the arms and heart of my future husband!
That’s how I want my marriage to be! God first, husband second, family third and career fourth.
Thanks God for bringing me out in the middle of Guatemala to realize that!
It is so awesome to see how each of our hearts are already changing! Justin sent this to me and it has radically changed my perspective on the Bride of Christ….and what I should be doing to become the best bride for my Lord!
“I think about the day you come home a lot… its my new "happy place". And I think about our lives together… no matter what happens whether good or bad, it will either be ok because I still have you or be better because you were there 🙂 I continuously love you. I talk about you all the time and think about you even more. You're the best thing I call mine :):):):) I do love you I miss you a lot!!! Life is definitely different without you here. I like it better when you're around :):):):) I m still thinking about my kingdom dream and everything else. I pray for you all the time. Sometimes it makes me wonder if this is the way Jesus feels waiting on his bride. Does he wonder what she's doing? How she feels? Does he always have the feeling that he needs to protect her, to hold her, comfort her? Wait anxiously for the day they're finally together? I do. I can't wait until I get to hold you again hear your funny random stories. Just look at you and have that feeling that you're absolutely the BEST woman, wife, and friend. My life long partner, mother to my children and the one who will be sitting in porch swing beside me when I m an old man… remembering the stories that we haven't even made yet. Amy I love love love you!!! I count the days until you come back to me. It will the best day of the year. I love you baby!!! See you soon”
Isn’t that just AMAZING!! Wow! I know that I have a huge blessing in my life! I thank God everyday for my husband! Wow Lord, you really out did yourself when you created Justin just for me! Wow…thank you God!
It is so good to fully trust in Justin. With Justin growing as Christ as his leader, he is becoming even more perfect, every single day. Justin is being lead and now, he can lead me! He is my leader and I will follow him anywhere! I have full respect and submission to him! I am so honored and blessed that the Lord has put such a wonderful lighthouse and strong tower in my life…aww. Thank you God for Justin!
For example, Justin will be looking for our house this year while I am away. I was telling my teammate about it and she said that she would have a really hard time with her husband picking out their house by himself…but.. that is the coolest thing! I trust Justin so much that I do not even feel like I have to worry about it at all! He knows me so well that he can make an informed decision about me without me even being there. Is that not just cool? I fully believe in Ruth1:16! “Your people will be my people, I will go where you go, I will live where you live, your God will be my God!” I do not have to worry about his judgment at all! I trust him completely! It is exciting!
And finally, I just want to share the blessing of his family. Wow! God is just so perfect! I love his family equal to my own! I can not even imagine life without them! I am just humbled and honored to join in with them. I truly love them and I could not ask for a better support system. They are great!
One last thing: When I started praying for my future husband, I firmly believed in Jeremiah 29:11… That God would have great plans for me, plans for a hope and future! Good plans and not plans to hurt you! So.. I would pray that verse over my husband! Amazing that Jeremiah 29:13 says: You will search me and find me when you search me with all your heart! I am just so glad that God brought me all the way to Guatemala to be able to seek him fully! AWESOME.
The more I seek God and fall in love with him, the more I will fall more and more in love with my husband. This is not revolutionary news… but, it is finally tangible and real.
Preparing myself to be the bride of Christ so that I can be the bride of Justin.
I am falling more and more in love with Jesus. Learning His personality, His character, His Love. It is just incredible.
Wow.
So, all this to say: God is faithful! God heard the cry of my heart for the past 11 years. God knows what He is doing and He is just waiting for you to let go so He can be God! Hold true to the gifts and promises He gives in His word! My God never fails!
Wow.
Thank you God! Thank you, thank you, thank you!
　
　
　
　
