OUR JOURNEY…

…Began years ago according to God’s sovereign plan. As I like to think, is it really just a coincidence, or actually a Godincidence?

HOW WE MET

A little over 10 years ago, both of us moved to the same area within a couple of months of one another, him from Ohio and her from Georgia. Megan was invited to attend Grace Community Church by a long-time friend, and she immediately felt at home despite living 45 minutes away. Ruben had also begun going there, and we ended up in the same group of friends.

For the first two years we remained platonic, but over time it developed into a deeper relationship. He became part of her family as her parents lived nearby, sharing holidays and birthdays and day to day life.

Christmas of 2007 was the turning point, and with much prayer and discussion we decided to date with the intention of marriage. Our pastor and his wife were instrumental in providing wise counsel, helping us get beyond ourselves and to work through issues as a united front. This continued as Ruben moved to Fort Bragg, N.C. a few months later, and then deployed to Iraq for 1 year the following Thanksgiving.

Spending a couple of years apart caused us to focus on our ability to communicate and search out what we wanted out of life together. After his return to the States, however, it took some time to readjust from living our independent lives to doing things as a couple again.

THE PROPOSAL

A few months passed as both of us prayed for God’s peace on reaching a decision to marry. Megan finally reached this point at the end of January 2010, and excitedly shared this with Ruben on the phone that night (he remained stationed at Fort Bragg). However, he appeared to still be unsure over certain issues and wondered aloud how Megan could be at peace.

Two weeks later Ruben was able to get a weekend pass to visit, and stayed with Megan and her family as usual. Early that Sunday morning, he went to her room and woke her up (why?? It’s so early!). Ruben told her to come across the hall to his room, where she saw roses lying on his bed. There’s nothing like seeing your beloved kneel down and propose to snap one out of a sleepy morning haze. Honestly, Megan doesn’t remember what he said, but immediately questioned him about all his previous uncertainty. Turns out, God had given Ruben peace at the exact same time and day as He did Megan, but Ruben didn’t want to let on so she couldn’t guess that he would propose. Obviously, Megan said “YES.”

A BEAUTIFULLY UNCONVENTIONAL WEDDING

Five and a half years ago we were married at a friend’s house in the country, surrounded by family and friends. The idea of a small wedding was out of the question because Ruben’s close family alone totaled over 80 people! It was an amazing day between the sharing of our vows, music, dancing, and food. The power went out at one point but that didn’t stop the good times. Since it was so hot, adults and children alike were seen dipping in the swimming pool. Megan even secretly arranged to surprise Ruben with a horse to ride into the reception.

Godincidence:  Ruben wasn’t supposed to be allowed to leave the field training in N.C. for the wedding, even though the army told us that was the only weekend we could get married, or wait another year. They plucked him out of the dirt, sent him to Virginia for a 3 day weekend, and promptly took him back that Monday.

MAKING A HOUSE A HOME

After much searching, the right house was found. It was a trashed foreclosure but within it we saw great potential. It’s a one level rambler set on 4 acres with lots of room to run around in the fresh air.

With the help of a construction friend, we gutted and renovated it to be our dream home, including custom build furniture and cabinets by Megan so it doubles as her gallery. Speaking of furniture, she was able to build her dream woodshop on the back of the property.

One of many Godincidences in this situation was bittersweet: Megan’s grandmother passed away not quite a year earlier, but this made it financially possible to make a down payment and build the shop. It was particularly special because her grandmother had never accepted that her granddaughter was working a “man’s job” and therefore ignored it. Yet the last time Megan saw her Grandma (not knowing it was to be the last), her Grandma turned to her and earnestly asked how her furniture business was going.

Another Godincidence was that Ruben was automatically signed up by the army to be a recruiter for his next phase in the military. Not only was this an undesirable position to Ruben, but it would have meant he couldn’t move back to Virginia. To his knowledge, no one has ever gotten out of a recruiting assignment, but God is bigger than this world and secretly at work. A month before their wedding, Ruben got called back up to Fort Myer (in Virginia) to work with some trouble horses for the Caisson Platoon by his old boss. It turned out to be more than lending a little help and catching up over a grill-out: it was a job interview to return to that unit. Six months later, he did just that.