Thanksgiving journey day 2

Hubby falls right behind God's grace. His grace is sufficient, but He also gives us more than we need. He gave me my husband. I have blogged about us in the past, but I think I will retell our story. It is a really cool one, I think.




When I was 16, I applied for my first job at a place called The Crosseyed Cricket. My mom let me apply against her better judgment because she didn't think I would get the job. A few days after I applied, I got a call for an interview. I went in and this really nice lady (Susan) came in and told me that the man interviewing me would be in soon, and if I had any questions or needed any advice she was the person to ask, but that he was a nice guy and I would do fine. I sat there a while and then he came in. I remember everything about that interview, down to my reflection in the mirror. He sat across from me at a small table for 2 and started talking to me. I remember his eyes. They were the bluest eyes I had ever seen and the kindest. He just went down a list of questions and handed me a bag of money to count and math test.



Apparently, I passed inspection and was hired. I loved working here and after about a year I had gotten to know those sweet eyes. Not only did this man have sweet eyes, but a sweet heart too. He was one of those men who could fix anything; He worked so hard at everything he did. He was genuinely a nice guy. He was honest and respectable, a man of sincere integrity. When I was 17, I realized which ever woman he married he would take such great care of and would be the luckiest woman in the world. I asked him to marry me. Uh, as you can imagine that was a little weird for him. I was 17 and he was going on 30. I was just a kid to him so he brushed me off.



In all naivety, I started pursuing him-- yeah stalking is more like it. I came to work every week with a different dessert for him. "The way to a man's heart is through his stomach", right? I made cheesecakes (never as good as his mom's-- she makes the best), pound cakes, cookies... This is how I learned to bake, but I never snagged the man. I left for college and well, did college stuff. After some serious fails and lessons learned, I went back to the Cricket and he still worked there. Now I was 21-- legal. This time, my pursuit was noticed (I actually even made him another cake (sour cream pound cake that stuck so badly in the pan.) The day I made this, his ex-girlfriend came by for a visit and I had to leave and go to work. Imagine my gut wrenching feeling that she was going to share that cake with him and his co-workers. Anyhow, we started spending more time with each other (I would hang around and help him at work-- no one argued because I was working for free.) I got to know him even better. All the things I mentioned before became first impressions (pretty accurate, but only superficial). He was so much more than what I thought. He was wonderful, is wonderful. He wanted the same thing I did and still does. We dated for nearly 2 years and I finally realized that he was never going to marry me. I decided I'd just live forever as his girlfriend-- which was better than nothing. Then on Valentine’s Day, we went out and took a walk down the river in Knoxville, and he proposed. I was stunned to silence and at the same time on top of the world. We called his mom, and went to my mom's to share our new with them. It was such a great day. Since then I have gotten to know him even more-- every day I still learn more. I love him more with everyday too. He fulfills all of those childhood imaginations I had at 17. I am the luckiest woman in the world to have him. He suits me just perfectly. I know there are other women out there who have "the perfect husband" too and this may be so. I have the man God wanted me to be with. The man perfectly suited for me. A man who doesn't fuss at me, try to control me, never speaks ugly to me, treats me like a treasure, adores me no matter how much I age, loves me no matter that my hair is falling out, wants to do what I want to do instead of running off with the guys, lets me choose the movies, puts his wants aside for mine, eats my experiments with a smile and a grateful spirit, is my biggest fan in everything I do... He loves me. He cherishes me. He is the perfect example of what Christ is to his bride! I am so thankful for him.

Oh yeah, when we got married and I cleaned out his trailer, I found a birthday card (he is a pack rat and saves everything) from his 30th birthday. In it I had asked him to "start subtracting years so that we can meet in the middle and then get married." I so wish I had not thrown this away. It would mean the world to me today.