It all started on a Georgia hilltop. Standing next to my tent, preparing for a journey around the world, I listened to Shannon tell me her love story. She told me how Brad had prayed for her, pursued her and how they had both sought Christ in it all. I wasn’t ready to trust God with my love life but it was here that Jesus began to change my perspective.
Month 6 of the World Race our team found ourselves in Romania, it was in this sleepy Romanian village that God finally gained full access to my heart. After 6 months of trusting God with my food, safety and sanity, I finally decided to trust Him with ALL areas of my life.
God created romance after all, so who was I not to trust Him with my love story.
From Swaziland to Romania to Honduras, the six of us women would spend each night praying for our future husbands, a notion that months before would have seemed ridiculous and silly.
I returned home and for the first time since High School, I was completely single and totally content with that. Jesus was enough for me. I had experienced Jesus romance me and that was more than any man could give.
From beauty to brokenness in nations around the world, I had experienced the best gift of all and that was Jesus’ love and grace.
Six months after returning home I went down to celebrate Shannon and Brads wedding. On one shopping trip I tried on some brown boots, “You HAVE to buy these boots” Shannon pronounced, “they’re going to find you a husband one day…” we both laughed and I reluctantly bought the tall brown boots.
A month later, our family headed out on our yearly ski trip to Montana. The prior year I was in Mozambique where I experienced deep homesickness thinking of the beautiful Montana mountains but most of all thinking of my family being all together minus me. So this yearly ski trip was particularly special to me.
On December 27th, my brother and I headed out to find some fresh powder. As I looked down the hill at my precious brother and the mountains that surrounded us, I prayed, “God I love you, I love mountains and it would be so amazing to eventually marry someone who enjoyed skiing as much as I do.”
That night our family headed out to Kandahar, one of my favorite restaurants. As I put on the dark brown boots Shannon had made me purchase, my sister jokingly said, “I bet you’re going to meet someone tonight, you need a Montana boy you know…”
Our table was not ready, so my sister and I sat down on a couch in the lobby. Minutes after sitting down the woman sitting next to us said, “I LOVE your boots!” She quickly asked where we were from and upon discovering we were from Minneapolis she demanded I get in contact with her cousin Braden.
Hesitantly, I nodded, not thinking anything of it. She persisted and eventually found his Facebook account. Since she seemed really sweet, I figured I might as well reach out to him, not actually intending on meeting him…
Well it wasn’t until a month later that we actually met. However, I still was not convinced; I mean how could I meet someone through a blind date who would share my same radical love of Christ? I always say Jesus would have had to drop a man on my door step for me to actually go out on a date, and I guess looking back He did.
After our first meeting I decided not to accept his offer for a second date, but after 3 days of silence (and some prodding by my mom) I had this sudden urge to simply text him, accepting his offer of a second date.
It was on the second date that God took me by complete surprise. That date was the best date I had ever been on and we stayed at the restaurant talking until two in the morning.
The dates that followed only continued to assure me that this was the type of man I desired to marry.
A man who pursues me, prays for me, romances me and continually points me back to my first love, Jesus.
While the beginning of this story began with Shannon’s love story, it ends with a love story of my very own and on December 27th, 2013, exactly a year after praying for a husband who skied, Braden skied me back to the same place I had prayed and asked me to be his wife.
P.S. I’m wearing the brown boots with my wedding dress when we say ‘I do’ beneath the Montana mountains in August
