Tuesday, February 14, 2012

"We can just go as friends..."

That's what this hot, funny guy said to me when I told him I couldn't go out with him because I had a boyfriend. I met him at Wal-Mart. It's where we both worked.. There's so many particulars to this story, particulars that were heaven sent. Things that happened that without divine intervention wouldn't or couldn't have.

I never worked late....he never came in early.

I had a boyfriend....he had a girlfriend.

I was in school...he was just home from his mission.

He teased me relentlessly. I loved his attention. And one day when I just couldn't take it anymore, I said to him, "You're making this really hard on me."

"What?" Like he had no idea that the continuous flirting he was doing had no affect on me.

He asked me out on a date. "I can't, I have a boyfriend."

"We'll just go as friends."

And that was the end...or the beginning.

We met at the college in the parking lot that is no longer there. We took his car. We went to Chili's and sat in a booth toward the back. I ate. Something I never did on dates. I never felt comfortable enough to eat in front of guys. I knew then that this one was special. He made me feel at ease. He made me feel special. We talked and ate and when I left, I knew I needed to break up with my boyfriend.

I spent that night praying. Praying that I was making the right decision...and then I did it. I broke up with my boyfriend and started dating him. It was wonderful.

And a month later we were engaged.

We prayed together, asking if this was right. At that moment, I received the strongest answer to a prayer that I have ever felt in my life. People talk about that burning, that fire. I had never felt so strongly that this was the man I was to be with for eternity. And I knew it.

Two and a half months later we were married. It has been 15 years. There have been tough times and there have been wonderful times.

I love him.
I love him more than he will ever know.
I love him because of those hard times.
I love him because of the good times.
I love him for who he has become and who he has helped me to be.

I never knew what I was in for when he said, "We can just go as friends."
But I've never regretted it and never looked back.
Because I love him.

3 comments:

  1. well, jimminy cricket.
    derek is a lucky guy!

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  2. Melissa! I just did some catching up on your cute family... looks like you are loving things up north. Though I can not for the life of me figure out how it is you had never heard of or tasted a slurpee before your move:) (except, I really can, because I go every summer craving and yearning for their delicious goodness... which is nowhere to be found down here) Glad to see you are all doing well!

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  3. What a cute love story!!! I got the chills :)

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