(About a 3 min read… the anniversary edition!)
We weren’t looking… our own poor choices and life’s left hooks kept our eyes forward and steady… she was the daughter of what I consider a great family… I was a pantheistic rebel living in a renovated school bus…
Walking away from abuse… she didn’t smell like smoke… I, on the other hand, was a chain smoker of pain and trouble… I was invited to play and sing on the worship team at the college we went to… she was the elite circle vocalist… so we had that connection… but, I was the “Greaser”… she was the “Soc…
So, when we connected at a conference in Kansas City in 2018… it was confusing and wonderful… the very moment she began to speak, a spark lit a fire in my heart… it was only 5 days… however, it felt like we had known each other for decades…
“The redemption of time” never made sense to me until that moment… my past started short-circuiting… and I could only think of her… the connection was… deep… and purposeful…
As we left to catch our flight back to Colorado, I received a text… “I feel like I’ve lost my right arm”… I agreed… “how could this be?” I pondered…
Upon returning to Colorado, I set up a meeting to talk to her dad… it was a swirl of conflicting emotions that I really hadn’t felt before… I wanted to ask his permission to marry his daughter… I thought I would be polite and honoring”…
I came to his office the next day… and politely asked him “could I date your daughter?”… his reply surprised me… he said “no”… “we don’t date in our family”… I was confused yet again… this was a strange new world for me… this circle of faith filled believers… I replied “then… what do you do?”… he replied “Jesus made a commitment and then went and prepared a place for us… if the Holy Spirit is telling you to commit to Katrina… then stand on what He says… go and get a confirmation for yourself and then let me know.”…
I was a little surprised… was he asking me to possibly marry her?… I went home and asked God for a confirmation… which I received… (I can share more about that in another post)…
I came back to her father’s office and said “I have my confirmation… I’ll ask her to marry me… do I have your blessing?”… I remember tears welling up in his eyes and he replied “I wouldn’t want anyone else for her.”… I was confused, yet again… because I did NOT see myself as a “catch”… I knew my rebel heart… but he saw my capacity for love…
The next 3 months were a whirlwind of deep connection… it was, again, like the stolen years were amplified and accelerated… we had many compatible stories… it was beautiful… discovery was easy…
So… I’d like to say that today is our 25th anniversary… because that’s how it feels… I know you so deeply, Katrina… and love what I’ve found in you… our connection is deeply physical and emotional… but our redemption is vastly spiritual… many people have said “good luck with that one… she’ll be hard to handle”… but not me… I enjoy every aspect of who you are… like a hot mango salsa… your sweetness balances your spicy…
You’re my favorite person… and I consider our relationship one of the good ones… the odds were against us… but God knew better… I’m so glad we listened…
Happy 5th Anniversary, my love…
Michael
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