Looking back, we can't help but smile at how God brought us together! Four years ago today, January 2, 2008, we met at the FOCUS conference in Grapevine, TX at the Gaylord Hotel.
Look at us then! Our first picture together (taken a few minutes before our first goodbye...we had stayed up all night talking and it was about 4 a.m. when we said goodbye because Tyler had to catch an early plane back to Alabama.)
I like to think about how we had no idea what we were in for when we went to the conference. I was content being single and discerning the religious life, and Tyler started a dating fast three months prior and was also discerning God's will for his future. When I sat down next to him at Mass the first evening, it was an instant friendship. Only God knew how much He had to work in us separately before we could finally be together.
God really used the next 9 months of the dating fast before we started dating, and then the next 19 months of a long distance relationship, to help us be firmly rooted in our relationship with Christ and to practice patience. He blessed the time with lots of joy as well. We'll always remember the times we picked each other up at the airport on our breaks, and the phone dates we had (where we dressed up and then explained what we were wearing and where we were sitting...that was before the time of video chat dates!)
Four years ago we spent every minute we could together at the conference. Kind of like we still do! It was definitely love at first sight.
I love the story of how you guys met! Such a "God thing". :)
ReplyDelete