Paul and I married on January 10, 2004.
We met almost four months earlier. A mutual friend, Cathy Henry, arranged a date in Selma. At the time, I was living in Greensboro and Paul in Demopolis. He tried to contact me several times prior to the September 12, 2003, date; however, I had lost my cell phone. Maybe the lost cell phone should have given him a clue or two about me. At any rate, he finally called me at my office. The two things I remember from that conversation was Paul telling me "I play both kinds of music, country and western" and that he was going to dress in black on our first date in honor of Johnny Cash who had died that week. That gave me a clue or two about Paul. I still went on the date though --- think I was scared of Cathy!
The next day I attended an Alabama football game with my father and sister, Rayne. On Sunday, he called wanting to know if I would be interested in riding to Lowe's in Tuscaloosa so we could buy the ceiling fan I wanted for my new rental. He would install it for me. Yes, our second date was Lowe's and Outback.
According to Paul, "I was a better person than Mother Teresa" (I saved the email) and the puzzle piece that had been missing in his life (I saved the memory). When he first asked how soon do you think we can get married (this was week three since initial introduction) and I said at least six months or people will talk about us. His reply "I just don't think I can wait that long!" No way I could refuse all that enthusiasm. (I now know that it was because he would begin playing golf tournaments again in the Spring and needed to get this marriage deal sealed before then.)
A month later while on his initial beach trip with my fam, he asked my father's permission for us to marry. My sister Rayne tells the story of that weekend best - we'll leave it for another post.
In the eight years since we married, we've changed towns, jobs, houses, gained relatives, lost relatives and the biggest transformation of all, became parents to Sam and Fair.
Thank you to Cathy who introduced and all of the friends and family who have supported us along the way!
Biblically, the number eight symbolizes circumsicion of the heart through Christ and the receiving of the Holy Spirit. (Romans 2:28-29 and Colossians 2:11-13) It also symbolizes new beginnings, the establishment of the new order and first in a new series of abundance.
My prayer for our eighth anniversary, is that we grow in a deeper relationship with Christ and each other establishing a new order characterized by a circumcision of our hearts and overflowing abundance.
