~Love story~

A emotionally wounded fifteen year old girl with a bruised and battered heart met a neglected and hurting sixteen year old boy one fine summer night and fell madly and deeply and hopelessly in love. Together they stitched there broken hearts as one, strong and healthy, more then enough for both of them.

I use to lay in bed at night when I was a young girl, crying and begging God to help me. Make the pain and hurt go away. Save me, hold me in His hands. I would picture big hands cradling me, safely away from harm. And I would cry until my eyes were swollen shut, singing softly "He holds the whole world in his hand..." until I fell asleep.

As I grew older I became angry. I wasn't being saved. I didn't see God any where. I spent many years being angry. I fell in love with my husband at that time, and slowly began to heal... very slowly. We almost didn't make it, because my hurt was so much. As was his. But we figured out how to make two broken people into one strong marriage over time. And we didn't do it on our own.

A while back I was driving in the van alone and I was thinking back to that broken scared little girl who use to pray fervently at night. I teared up as I thought about how absolutely alone I felt. How scary that feels. How angry I was that no one was saving me, not even God {it seemed at the time} cared. As I was thinking this I started to feel a peace like no other as I came to the strong realization that He did answer my prayers. Not right when I was praying them. But He did answer my prayers. He gave me something even better then I was praying for. He gave me someone to love and treasure right here on earth, someone who loves and treasures me right back. Someone who holds me wrapped up in his arms in my darkest moments. Someone who loves all of me and understands when the hurt and brokenness comes back from time to time. He gave me someone to help heal my broken heart, the perfect person for me with out a doubt. He doesn't always answer prayers in obvious ways, or right at that moment. But He can give us the strength to carry on despite it all. And He can bless us and help us heal in ways we can't even imagine at the time. That's what He did for me. He had me in his hands when I was a scared little girl, He still held me in His hands when I wanted nothing to do with Him, and He holds me now. Every time I see my husband I can be reminded of His love for me. Every time I look at our tangible love that we created together, our four beautiful children, I can feel peace and healing and a joy that knows no end. He answers prayers, in His way. For me He gave me the love of my life, and the strength to make it through those hard times so that I could watch love multiply.

That is a love story.