… I met Dave for the very first time!

It was completely unexpected. Oh, I was certainly ready to meet “him” but had no clue that January 26, 2006, was the day God had planned all along.

Back then I was a 4th grade teacher. It was a Thursday night when all the family gathers for a family dinner at my parents’ house. As I arrived home from work that day, I learned Wesley’s roommate would be joining us for dinner that night.

I was upstairs on the computer reading email when the doorbell rang. My mom went to the door and in walked Wesley’s roommate, Dave. He went to the kitchen with my mom and I continued to read email upstairs.

It wasn’t long and I decided to go down and meet the roommate. I distinctly remember thinking as I descended the stairs on my way to the kitchen, “Too bad this won’t be ‘him’ either.”  I had already dismissed “the roommate” as a potential spouse, considering he was over 3 years younger than myself.

God had other plans, and for that, I am forever grateful.

I entered the kitchen and we were introduced. You can’t say it was “love at first sight” for us. Dave continued to join us for Thursday night dinner every week and gradually interest grew between the two of us. It wasn’t until the annual trip to Ridgecrest that summer that we officially started dating.

Oh, and the funniest thing about all this?

My parents (my dad especially) had been telling me I needed to go places to meet good Christian young men. My dad told me, “Elaine, you just can’t expect your husband to come knocking on the front door.”

And, well, that’s exactly what ended up happening!

Looking back over the past 36 months, it is amazing to see where life has taken us. There have been times of great joy and times of deep sorrow, but overall, three words sum it all up:

God is faithful.

 This picture was taken on the Blue Ridge Parkway this past October.

- Elaine