I didn’t know it yet, but my future husband was in my class. He was watching over me so to speak. I had no idea that he felt called by God to watch over me. Why, he did not know, but that is what he did. We built our relationship through God and got to know each other by participating fully in the school program. We never went out on dates until he graduated. Then those dates were with others. When it came time for graduation I chose to stay an extra year to write my thesis and Matthew went on to graduate that year. He was going back home to Minnesota.
My thesis had a summer project and that was learning to train horses. Matthew helped me find a place in Minnesota to work with horses on Horse Shoe Ranch. The owner had agreed that if I worked on her ranch she would give me lessons on training horses and also a place to sleep for the summer. I could not resist the opportunity to live an half hour from Matthew, the chance for someone to teach about horses and to work with the horses. So I traveled out to Minnesota to train horses and to get to know my boyfriend a little better.
That summer Matthew also had a horse he wanted to train. Her name was Antigone. Matthew and I would work with Antigone every day at a set time. If we were late it was like starting in her training all over again. We learned that being consistent was important for her. One day Matthew was lunging Antigone in a circle and using his whip to guide her. I was sitting on the tailgate of an old pick truck with my horse training book. I told Matthew,
“You are lunging her wrong because it says in the book that…” and before I could finish speaking he turned and held the whip right below my nose and asked me,
“Would you like to come out and try it?” I of course said no being a little bit intimidated by Antigone for she was high spirited and mean. These kind of experiences helped our relationship grow. We began to learn to let go of our own opinions. In this way we learned how to work together as a team. We used our strengths instead of our weaknesses. In this case my strength was book knowledge and Matthew’s was experience.
The summer went by quickly. I went and moved back to New Hampshire to finish school. Matthew went to live in Virginia. He visited and called me quite often but we both did our best to focus on our work and studies. Soon the year was over and graduation day had come. What I didn’t know was that there were a couple of surprises for me. The whole time I was getting pictures taken with my class and family Matthew was getting advice from an old friend on whether or not he should ask me to marry him on that day. There was a lot going on. I was moving down to Virginia to be closer to Matthew, it was also my birthday and I was graduating.
When the festivities had died down we left the campus to go to my little house I was renting in Sutton NH. After a long wonderful morning, my parents took a rest and I asked Matthew if he would like to go on a walk with me. The walk was wonderful but he would periodically ask me if I loved him. I would of course with great fervor say,
“Yes, I love you.” I started wondering what he was up to, when he asked me that question for a third time. Matthew asked if we could stop for a while so I said ok. We sat down and that is when he asked me if I would be his best friend for life. I was surprised and thought for a moment before I gave him my yes. That moment I will remember forever.
God had truly sent me a friend to help me through this world. Matthew is still my best friend and he is a wonderful father and husband as well. We have our ups and downs but we know where we are headed and that is eternal life with God.
I know from out of everything I have gone through in this life I know that my Father i.e. God never abandoned me and I know that He loves me. I see this daily in my husband and in my four little girls. Through my trials and through my joys in life I can honestly look back and say God was there holding my hand all the way. For I know with the kind of life I was leading I should have been dead five times over but yet here I am and only God knows why I am still here.
I know God and what He gives is the only thing worth living for in this life and in the next. I tried what the world had to offer and it is not worth it. God picked me up broken and bruised and dressed my wounds and healed them. He has done His part now it is my turn to do my part with the help of His graces. For life is a beautiful adventure with God to walk hand in hand with you.
