Today, 35 years ago, the man of my dreams was born! Obviously I wasn't there (since I AM younger than him!) Looking back, it is quite amazing, yet a very simple story of how we came to be - only one that God could orchestrate!
Rewind 12 years...........I was out of college and teaching in
Scottsboro, Stewart was out of college and had just come home to start teaching in Madison. We knew virtually NOTHING of each other even though we had almost the identical circle of friends! He had been away at school for 7 years, so he was out of our normal social loop. He says he had seen me sing a couple of times over the previous years, and I had heard a few things about him, but that was IT! Fate had it that some mutual friends of ours got married. He played the piano for the wedding, and other friends of ours sang. We talked at the reception, but I really thought he had his eye on my friend who sang. That weekend, he visited our church, and again I thought he was there to see someone else. We ended up talking that day about teaching, etc. and swapping emails. I honestly thought little of it.
Time rocked on - we went out - usually to
singings or to eat with friends, but it really wasn't the fireworks - HE'S THE ONE - that I thought I was looking for. I remember calling a couple of girlfriends after dates with him and they would always ask, "Any butterflies yet?" I kept wanting there to be SO bad - on paper we had everything in common. We kept going out, and kept going out...............
Here's where divine intervention steps in............I needed slow, deliberate, no drama, time to just "be".........I didn't know it, but God did! I was only 23 at the time, but I had been in several intense, dramatic, fiery relationships. You remember the kind - you HAVE to see them, feel like your insides are going to just jump out of your skin, abandon all reasoning, and then watch it go up in flames just as fast as it came?? (Ahh.....youth........) Stewart had been away in Tuscaloosa for years doing the "college thing" and living life to the fullest. His desire was to come home, settle down, give his life to God and find someone to share those same priorities. I had NO idea he had these BIG ideas going on in his head. He had WAY more important things to work out than to court me - ha! Well, that summer, he did exactly what he promised himself he would - he gave his life to God and promised to live and work for Him. What an awesome thing!! After that, the butterflies started flying, and about 6 months later we were engaged and were married on June 29, 2001.
Since then, we have endured more than we ever expected. We've battled all the daily stuff like money (and the lack of it!), lost jobs, and all the tribulations that come with living in a broken world. We've also walked the roads that we never thought we'd be on - losing our daughter and losing his father within a year of each other. We've also shared more joy than we ever thought possible - the birth of our two blessings that God let us keep and so many more that I could go on and on.
We've grown together, laughed together, cried so many tears together, stayed up until all hours trying to resolve those little kinks in the road that so often come up - done all the things that married couples do. But I'll say this - there is no one else I'd rather walk this road with. He is my rock, my little girls' knight in shining armor. Yes, he drives me crazy many days, but in the end, God always knows what and who we need long before we ever know what to ask for!
We spent the day at home a little under the weather, but here are a few pictures to document the day :) Maybe one day I'll get some wedding pictures scanned in - NA - I'll be too depressed at how skinny I was :)
Happy birthday Stewart - I love you!
