7 hours.

so as I was rearranging things in my house, aka: avoiding cleaning, I came across our wedding photos. I couldn't help but to feel completely thankful as I remembered this day that the Lord truly made for bobby and myself. Sometimes, before we were married, I felt like this day would never come. We were long distance the ENTIRE time we dated- 7 hours and sometimes, depending on traffic, more. I can remember sitting my car as I was stuck in traffic for over two hours, crying...because I knew I had found the one my heart longed for. I knew that I loved him. I knew that were were going to get married, but sometimes being long distance got the best of me. Our time apart was truly the best of times and the worst of times. I know that God wanted us to be together and that it was His perfect will for us to be together because of His grace and mercy towards us. God allowed us to meet each other and He knew exactly what He was doing when He let me meet Bobby in the Philippines and then make up be apart for a year and a half. So much happened in that time personally, spiritually, and physically. But when I look back at that time, I can see God and His hand. His hand and he guided my choices and decisions to move and just to receive grace for the trial of being apart from Bobby. I remember specifically wondering "When will I 'just know?' like so many people say. I remember our pastor, Brian Curtis saying in one of his sermons that "Life was just better with Julie. That when he was apart from her, something was missing." I feel like that is when God allowed me to see the simplicity of love. I knew that I was going to marry him. I knew that I wanted to marry him. I knew that if we were going to get married, then I had to trust God completely. We got engaged a year after I heard that sermon. Waiting on God isn't easy, but we all know it's what we should do. Be still and know that He is God. Not us. When Bobby proposed it was so surreal. This was something I had wanted forever and the day couldn't have been better. He surprised me in SC and I was floored. I had a really bad day before he came and the timing was ironically perfect. The funny thing about it all, as I write this, I am reminded once more that God took such good care of me when we were apart and He knew before the foundation of the world that I was going to marry Bobby and that He was going to propose to me on that day. The day after one of the worst days of my life. God truly is so good to give me Bobby. He is such a tender, compassionate, and loving husband. One that I see Christ in. As we live our lives together, I can see the gospel more than I have before. He is a sinner and so am I. I think that we are both challenged to extend the love and grace that was given so freely to us on the Cross. We can now love because Jesus Christ first loved us. Praise God for such a wonderful gift. Even though I just rambled forever, my point was that God is good and these pictures remind me of this love and goodness towards me. Thank you, Lord for the gift of my husband, Bobby.