Crazy Little Thing Called Love
All my life I've heard people say things like "God will bring you a man when you least expect it"or "Just stop looking. It'll happen." As much as I wanted a godly man in my life I was almost stubbornly determined it would never happen. I was always expecting, always looking. Singleness is something I wrestled with pretty heavily on and off for years. I was always haunted by the possibility that I would end up alone forever.
Over the past six months to a year, Jesus really worked on my heart. He showed me the importance of loving myself fully. We went on dates, me and Jesus. We talked about if I was willing to stay single if that was what He called me to. Hesitantly, at least at first, I said yes. Then something crazy started to happen. I was okay being single. In fact, I was actually starting to enjoy it! The desire to one day have a boyfriend and get married never went away, but it was no longer consuming me. This was where I was a month and a half ago.
Now hold onto that thought and let me back track two years. I was working at Starbucks and had been a supervisor about six months. We heard we were getting a transfer and that was the first time I met Jake. From the second we started working together we clicked instantly. Our personalities just meshed in the best way possible and when we worked together it was always fun. Except for when it wasn't. We worked some of the worst shifts together, from cleaning up gallons of heavy cream off the floor to getting yelled at on Christmas Eve. We were the dynamic duo on bar, fluid as the tide, never even having to talk. We just worked well. We always fought over silly things and everyone called us the work mom and dad. When he first started working at my store, he wasn't in a very good place, but it opened up so many doors for spiritual conversations. Eventually I convinced him to come hang out with my Bible study group and he never left. He started coming to church on Sundays too and I got him a Bible. It was hard because I could see the weight of so many difficulties on him and I couldn't do a thing except pray. And I spent many a night praying the Lord would be relentless in pursuit of Jake's heart. And on August 24th, 2015 he accepted Jesus. I was ecstatic!
By this time, we were very close. He had become one of my best friends without much warning. But this brought about an interesting turn of events. I think it was around beginning of September, he told me he liked me. I told him the same. We had a long talk about it at work one night and he told me if we ever dated we would go the distance. But the timing wasn't right and I knew it. I told him we just needed to wait and see what the Lord did. In October we had a massive falling out. A lot happened very quickly and it was quite messy. We went six months without really talking at all. Looking back now, we would both tell anyone that the Lord very intentionally put that wedge between us. He had to rely solely on the Lord and press into Him. In that time, he got baptized (by my dad) and started a discipleship/mentor program. I had to learn to be okay and accepting of who I was, which was one of my greatest struggles. About three months into the silence, I remember telling the Lord that I just missed my friend and He told me one thing: "I will reconcile." I had no idea what the meant, but I held onto that word.
By some strange act of the Lord, we started talking again in April. I was beyond thrilled. I was regaining the friendship I had so desperately missed. I made sure he knew we were just friends. Only. Forever. Then in late May/early June, my feelings for him came back with a vengeance. Worse was I was fairly certain he still liked me too. I began begging God to take away both our feelings. When they only got stronger, I just started begging for help. After a few weeks like this I just started praying that the Lord would move. I knew it would be nothing short of a miracle for Jake to start pursuing me again. To be honest, the Lord and I wrestled over some stuff for a while before He finally just started asking if I trusted Him. Inexplicably, I did.
It was a crazy testing time, but June 24th he asked me to be his girlfriend. It's been a whirlwind of wonderful awesomeness that I can say with fully certainty that the Lord orchestrated. It's too crazy and illogical to not be from Him.
The Lord blew all my expectations with Jake. In some ways we are very similar and in others very different. We compliment each other very well. He is one of the sweetest people I know and he has such a big heart. He works hard and loves harder. He puts Jesus first and is always pushing me toward Him. He prays with me and for me. He brings me chocolate on really bad days. He is one of the most real people I know and I so admire him for that. He is a fighter. He makes me laugh and is always up for any adventure. Surprisingly he likes all the weird quirks I've always disliked about myself. He is caring and sacrificial. He is a servant. And I love him more than I ever thought possible to love someone. Even better is that I know beyond the shadow of a doubt that I'm gonna marry this man, my best friend, and I can't wait. :)
Over the past six months to a year, Jesus really worked on my heart. He showed me the importance of loving myself fully. We went on dates, me and Jesus. We talked about if I was willing to stay single if that was what He called me to. Hesitantly, at least at first, I said yes. Then something crazy started to happen. I was okay being single. In fact, I was actually starting to enjoy it! The desire to one day have a boyfriend and get married never went away, but it was no longer consuming me. This was where I was a month and a half ago.
Now hold onto that thought and let me back track two years. I was working at Starbucks and had been a supervisor about six months. We heard we were getting a transfer and that was the first time I met Jake. From the second we started working together we clicked instantly. Our personalities just meshed in the best way possible and when we worked together it was always fun. Except for when it wasn't. We worked some of the worst shifts together, from cleaning up gallons of heavy cream off the floor to getting yelled at on Christmas Eve. We were the dynamic duo on bar, fluid as the tide, never even having to talk. We just worked well. We always fought over silly things and everyone called us the work mom and dad. When he first started working at my store, he wasn't in a very good place, but it opened up so many doors for spiritual conversations. Eventually I convinced him to come hang out with my Bible study group and he never left. He started coming to church on Sundays too and I got him a Bible. It was hard because I could see the weight of so many difficulties on him and I couldn't do a thing except pray. And I spent many a night praying the Lord would be relentless in pursuit of Jake's heart. And on August 24th, 2015 he accepted Jesus. I was ecstatic!
By this time, we were very close. He had become one of my best friends without much warning. But this brought about an interesting turn of events. I think it was around beginning of September, he told me he liked me. I told him the same. We had a long talk about it at work one night and he told me if we ever dated we would go the distance. But the timing wasn't right and I knew it. I told him we just needed to wait and see what the Lord did. In October we had a massive falling out. A lot happened very quickly and it was quite messy. We went six months without really talking at all. Looking back now, we would both tell anyone that the Lord very intentionally put that wedge between us. He had to rely solely on the Lord and press into Him. In that time, he got baptized (by my dad) and started a discipleship/mentor program. I had to learn to be okay and accepting of who I was, which was one of my greatest struggles. About three months into the silence, I remember telling the Lord that I just missed my friend and He told me one thing: "I will reconcile." I had no idea what the meant, but I held onto that word.
By some strange act of the Lord, we started talking again in April. I was beyond thrilled. I was regaining the friendship I had so desperately missed. I made sure he knew we were just friends. Only. Forever. Then in late May/early June, my feelings for him came back with a vengeance. Worse was I was fairly certain he still liked me too. I began begging God to take away both our feelings. When they only got stronger, I just started begging for help. After a few weeks like this I just started praying that the Lord would move. I knew it would be nothing short of a miracle for Jake to start pursuing me again. To be honest, the Lord and I wrestled over some stuff for a while before He finally just started asking if I trusted Him. Inexplicably, I did.
It was a crazy testing time, but June 24th he asked me to be his girlfriend. It's been a whirlwind of wonderful awesomeness that I can say with fully certainty that the Lord orchestrated. It's too crazy and illogical to not be from Him.
The Lord blew all my expectations with Jake. In some ways we are very similar and in others very different. We compliment each other very well. He is one of the sweetest people I know and he has such a big heart. He works hard and loves harder. He puts Jesus first and is always pushing me toward Him. He prays with me and for me. He brings me chocolate on really bad days. He is one of the most real people I know and I so admire him for that. He is a fighter. He makes me laugh and is always up for any adventure. Surprisingly he likes all the weird quirks I've always disliked about myself. He is caring and sacrificial. He is a servant. And I love him more than I ever thought possible to love someone. Even better is that I know beyond the shadow of a doubt that I'm gonna marry this man, my best friend, and I can't wait. :)
Reading this makes many heart happy Ashley. I've been praying for you for a few years now. The loneliness you must have felt especially when it seemed like all your friends (& little sister) were getting engaged or getting married.
ReplyDeleteI'm so tickled to read your story.
I love you girl.
Lora
Thank you so much!! It makes my heart quite happy, too. It was a very hard season, but the Lord used it to teach me so much. As painful as it was, I wouldn't trade it for the world. It got me where I am today. :)
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