THE GOODNESS OF GOD

Who would’ve thought I’d meet the man of my dreams and be getting married in two months? Not me! This time last year I didn’t even know Wayne.

Although, I’d have to say that I hoped for it. I had this small inclination these past few years that the Lord was preparing me and the past one I felt strongly that it was going to happen that year. My amish grandpa wrote in one of my birthday cards that, "I think it's going to happen this year Shyla, us old people know things like that." :)

When I feel those inclinations, I hold them with an open hand. The Lord never tells us exactly what is going to happen and I have found that often how I interpret something is not the same as his plan! The past three years have been a work of trust, surrender and hope and now that the time has come, I am so overwhelmed at God’s goodness!
After meeting Wayne, I told the Lord, “I would’ve waited longer for him!”

Along the way of waiting, it is important to give yourself over to the Lord and be okay if your prayer is not God’s will. There is amazing work of trust and wholeness that develops when you do that. It is also important to learn to hear the voice of the Lord in your life as well. Everyone has their own unique relationship with the Father and hears him uniquely. I felt the Lord telling me in the past year that hope is so important to him. He gets soo much glory when we hope that he will do something that he has promised to do! The bible talks about Simeon who waited most of his life for the coming of Jesus and whose earnest hope was fulfilled. I also felt him speak to me that waiting does not mean our dreams diminish. The notion that what we are asking for will lose it’s goodness as time passes. No, that's not the kind of Father we have. In fact, God is a WAY bigger dreamer than any of us ever could be. And he is in the business of making dreams happen friends! HE IS.

(If you find yourself going through a season of trust-development along that path – consider yourself lucky. ;) You’ll be glad).

THE MAN OF MY DREAMS

Wayne is the man of my dreams.

He popped into my life while I was sitting on the couch one Thursday evening (September 8th)… when he messaged me and told me that he liked my blog and to keep the good work up. I noticed he was a friend of my friends Roxie & Eli, and I remembered Eli talking about a couple of good guys in West Virginia that he’d gotten to know through work. So I took the risk and opened up...

...and it’s been history ever since!

Wayne’s side: He was sitting by a fire one night, (said he felt content with his life but was in a place where he had the longing to share life with someone), and stumbled across one of my blogs. He opened it up and as he began reading he said to himself, "This is the kind of girl I want to marry!" He spent the next four hours reading everything he could get his hands on before messaging me.

I opened up and he kept messaging me… finally, I asked Roxie & Eli about him and then Eli, feeling curious and protective made a point to stop by and see Wayne the next time he was in Ohio to investigate this situation. Wayne hadn’t mentioned me to anyone at this point and was pretty guarded about his intentions but he asked me out that weekend. (Sometimes you don’t know how much your friends care until you do ;P - Thanks Eli).

I actually had a little panic that week while waiting for our date. I think I felt so much anticipation, feeling like it was the right time, but knew nothing about Wayne. I was deathly afraid it wouldn’t work. I ended up surrendering it to the Lord again and trusted that he had my dreams in mind, even if this didn’t work out.

I knew he had a black pick-up and when I pulled into Wallhouse Coffee that morning and saw him sitting inside… all of my fears melted. He came around his truck and hugged me and as I sat across from him in the booth; I trusted him. I saw something in his eyes that I could relate to. It wasn’t until the next night when he called me that I was sure, but he said he drove out of that parking lot and told himself, “I’m gonna marry that girl!”

We spent the first month getting to know each other, in what seemed magical, and still does. I don’t think either of us was prepared for what was happening. Both of us had waited for that feeling, that spark and connection. We turned down really good guys/ girls because we believed there was something more. But we didn't realize how much God would answer that prayer.

Wayne told me the second time we were together, sitting in my garden, that I was everything he’d dreamed of since he was a boy. I didn’t know if I should really believe him at that point – but I knew I felt the same way. I felt like I had known him all of my life… I understood him… I wanted to be a part of his childhood and hold his memories.
This was my person.

We had so much fun those first few months (and still do ;).. He romanced me… took me on adventures and made moments special. I think it was the first time that either of us felt like we could give our all/ let someone in fully, and it was SO absolutely beautiful!

I couldn’t have chosen someone better for myself and am still in awe that it has actually happened! I'm getting married in June and feel so lucky! I always hoped that when it happened it would be a testimony, not just to me but everyone who knows and loves me, of God's goodness.

What a gift.

Thank-you Jesus.