Now that doesn't mean it has been easy. Elise and I have faced many hard circumstances in the past two years. We have both lost jobs, we have moved multiple times, we have both started serving in ministry positions, we have lost loved ones, and so much more. We accomplished the big three in our first month of marriage: we moved (twice), we switched jobs, and we were trying to figure out how to be newlyweds.
But through all of the craziness, the hurt, and stress I see why God has brought us together. God couldn't have crafted someone better for me. He purposely shaped Elise and I for one another and put us together for a purpose. He allowed for me to marry my very best friend and to live an amazing life with her by my side. Through all of our hard times with everything happening I can clearly see how we compliment, support, encourage, and love each other. God put someone amazing in my life who without her these past few years would have been completely different and I wouldn't be the man I am today.
All those years of wondering will I ever get married, will anyone ever love me, is there someone for me, does God really care about my relationships, I see now that God has a plan for all of us when it comes to marriage and that we need to patiently wait for His timing. I'll be honest, it sucked at some points, I am not a good waiter. Patience isn't my strong point. But when I finally had enough of trying to figure everything out, God stepped in and brought the very best person for me into my life. Marriage has been everything I thought it would be and so much more, and while waiting wasn't the easiest or the happiest for me, I see why God had me wait. He had me wait to mature myself, to grow me into a better man of God, to allow for me to love others better, to show me He was in control, and to allow for me to enter ministry with the best person in the world. God works in His own timing. Sometimes we don't know why, we don't want to know why, we want to figure it out on our own and do it our way, but after so many years of trying to do it my way and questioning God's plan, I now see how wonderfully crafted His plan was to bring Elise and I together.
So if you are waiting for God to bring that someone into your life know it isn't in vain, He hasn't forgotten about you, you are not unlovable or unworthy of marriage, there isn't something wrong with you, and you are not alone. God is preparing you for something unimaginable. He is crafting someone just for you, and you for them. He is shaping you to be ready to tackle what life will have for you in the future. Trust in God's plan and be honest with Him. Share your heart, share your pains, your insecurities, but know that He is in control and His plan for your life is being worked out each and every day, even when you don't see it. Rest in the peace that He is shaping you into a wonderful match for someone He created just for you, and in His time that person will step into your life and rock your world.
So all that to say, Elise, I am so thankful that we get to share life together. You're my very best friend! Knowing that I get to spend each day of the rest of my life with you is a blessing, I thank God for you each and every day. The love and support you have shown, and continue to show me, blows me away. The way you always smile and hug me when I get home is one of the best feelings in the world. I am blessed to call you my wife, my closest friend, my co-explorer, my travel buddy, my ministry partner, and my favorite person in the world. God created a beautifully sculpted woman when He made you, and He perfectly matched your outward beauty with the inward beauty. You're kind, loving, supportive, honest, godly, and someone I look up to and respect. I love you more than I could ever express and I am so excited for what God has in store for us in the next years!
