Two Years

Two years ago today {by day of the week}, this happened:

The surprise of my life.

The surprise of a lot of people's lives. I had some 'splainin' to do with about 100% of my friends. Many had just learned I was dating...and some hadn't even learned that yet. And the thing about a live on-air proposal is...word tends to get around before you have a chance to prep folks for it!

But you know what I loved about that proposal? {Besides, you know, the fact that I got the perfect-for-me ring and the chance to plan a wedding and end up with a husband?}

Even the method of proposal was part of the redemption.

It was the first time ever in my 34 year old life that a man I dated was willing to stand up and claim me in public. The first time that someone ever said I love this girl and I don't care who knows it or what they think of it. The first time anyone ever took a monumental risk for me.

To be publicly claimed and publicly chosen, for me, wasn't about being seen and heard. It was about being unreservedly picked.

It was something that I don't even think I fully understood was still an open wound in my heart until his words poured out and healed it.

I treasure that about our engagement. I treasure that his love and his anticipation for our future overrode his fear of what people would think about the time frame or the choice at all. I treasure that he was able to discern something about my pain that I hadn't even recognized and he set out to allow God to use him to redeem that.

In the two years that have passed since this day, I've talked to a lot of you - by email, in blog comments, in person. And I have loved hearing how our love story has encouraged you. As I sat to write this, I didn't want to just haphazardly throwback to a Thursday two years ago for fun. I wanted to try to encourage you who are waiting and praying like I did for so many years.

My prayer that I am offering up today over each of you is that when your day comes, it will be entirely redemptive.

Your day will look different from mine. Your love will probably not crawl through a radio station and surprise you with an on-air proposal. And that's okay. The details of yours will fit your story.

But God doesn't leave His hurting children unredeemed. If you look closely {probably later, since in the moment, you will probably be trying not to cry/freak out/pass out}, you'll see the unmistakable fingerprint of God healing a heart wound.

I can't wait for that for you!!