A year ago today...

...Something very special happened to me. Actually, it started several years back.
Let me tell you the story...

I was 17, and the date was May 12, 2005. In response to my heart's desire for a husband, God gave me a promise in Psalm 84:11. "For the LORD God is a sun and shield: the LORD will give grace and glory: no good thing will he withhold from them that walk uprightly." Marriage is a good thing, as it says many times in the Bible. I knew God would reward me if I did right.

The Lord confirmed His promise to me once again in Romans 11:4 on December 18, 2006, when my heart was broken and I was convinced that not a single godly young man existed. "But what saith the answer of God unto him? I have reserved to myself seven thousand men, who have not bowed the knee to the image of Baal."

In January 2008 my parents gave me this painting for my 20th birthday. I call it my "Waiting Painting," because the girl looks like she's waiting expectantly for the fulfillment of her dreams...a special someone.

In October 2008 I met the young man of my dreams. Russell. Even before I met him face-to-face I knew I could love him my whole life long. After a week's visit with his family he went home, and I never expected to see him again, though in my heart I wished it to be otherwise.

All through November and December I desperately tried to fight off and ignore the feelings I had for Russell. God hadn't said yes, and I had already learned a hard lesson about leaning on my own understanding regarding such matters. Our hearts often lead us astray, so I knew I needed a definite answer from the Lord. What I didn't realize is that Russell had been praying about me for months. On November 7, 2008, the Lord told him I was going to be his wife.

Meanwhile, I was still searching for answers. Mom saw the tug-of-war going on in my heart. She encouraged me to pray and get an answer from God. So, on the night of December 27, 2008, I prayed and asked the Lord to show me if Russell was meant for me. I prayed 3 specific things:
1.) That God would give me a verse in the next couple of days.
2.) That it would be in my daily Bible reading.
3.) And that it would jump off the page and practically knock me over with its clarity. I wanted a yes or no. No maybe stuff.
Then I went to bed with perfect peace. It was all in God's hands. I let go.

Very early in the morning, on December 28, the Lord spoke to me in Isaiah 66:9. "Shall I bring to the birth, and not cause to bring forth? saith the LORD: shall I cause to bring forth, and shut the womb? saith thy God." I knew from that verse that God was preparing me...He was going to do something. The answer was coming.

What beautiful rays of cheerful morning sunshine warmed me on the morning of December 29, 2008, as I lay on my bed and began to read my Bible! The answer came that day in 1 Samuel 9:24. "...Behold that which is left! set it before thee, and eat: for unto this time hath it been kept for thee..." Those words seemed to stand 2 inches off the page. Those words were just for me. Those words were a "YES!" Those words...and the only person to fit them was...Russell. God told me that Russell was going to be my husband.

Now, one year later, I have an engagement ring on my finger. Those words spoken to me last year surely came to pass, as all of God's promises have come to pass and will come to pass.

Not only does God fulfill His promises, but He also gives us the desires of our heart...when we delight in Him. As a little girl I remember my mom telling me how Dad gave her a Bible when they met and fell in love. I always wanted my future husband to give me a Bible. The very morning God told me Russell would be my husband is the morning a package arrived in the mail. It was a late Christmas gift...a Bible from Russell to me.

On July 14, 2009, Russell asked to court me. We got engaged on October 23, 2009. Our wedding date is set ~ April 17, 2010!

God still speaks. God still answers prayer. God still reveals His will to those who earnestly seek His direction for their lives. Praise God! All the glory for this love story belongs to Him alone!

Read the full-length version of our story here: A Love Story Written in Heaven