A true love story (Guest Blog)
Today we are graced with a guest blog post. This incredibly beautiful testimony of trusting God and seeking His face in the against all odds is quite touching. It is made all the more poignant by the fact that the couple in question are my dearest sister and her husband.
The Bride’s story
Back in the good old days, I was a bright eyed junior doctor doing a ward round in Nanyuki when in walked the consultant with Ben* to introduce him as part of the new team. I remember Ben looking up at me like he’d just seen the most delicious thing ever. My first thought was …okay weirdo! He eventually asked me out for a drink and we took to each other straight away.
But it was not all a bed of roses. We were young and had different ideas of what we wanted out of life. I for one had my mind set on pursuing further studies abroad whereas Ben was comfortable with his career path in Kenya. Eventually in 2013, after tough decisions and the usual upheaval that erupts when the enemy is on a mission to destroy a good thing, I left the country to further my career abroad.
So life went on. My prayer was always that God would bless me with a God fearing husband. Yes I’d always been a bit of a ‘party girl’ but my personal relationship with God was strong. I recall one morning I knelt down to pray for my future husband when I heard God say “yours may not be the perfect love story, but as long as I have ordained it, it will be perfect.” At the time I had no idea what this meant. Boy! Was I soon to find out what God had in store for me!
A short while later my dad’s vision began deteriorating. I was still away from Kenya at the time and Ben had just completed his Masters in eye medicine. Coincidentally (or not!) he had just been in touch with me that same week via text. I mentioned my dad’s eye issues and being the gentleman he is, he offered to arrange a further review and sorted out all of my father’s appointments in Kenya.
By God’s mysterious ways, we began communicating more frequently after this and the next thing I knew, the man was down on one knee proposing. At this point we were still living in separate countries.
We faced numerous challenges right after this - and I mean numerous! Right up until the eve of our wedding day. But God is faithful indeed and being a prayerful woman, I understood the importance of fighting spiritual battles on my knees. I believe our union was divinely orchestrated by the hand of the Lord God of heaven’s armies. Nothing is too difficult for Him and in His perfect time, what He said came to pass.
The Groom’s story
It was truly love at first sight! Let’s rewind to 2011. I was ready to start my internship and feeling great about life in general. I didn’t know what lay ahead but as with all interns, I was feeling pretty optimistic about the future. I recall strolling into the medical superintendent’s office wearing a crisp white lab coat. Morning shot of espresso, check; stethoscope, check; pen, check.
The boss informed me I’d be doing a surgical rotation and promptly took me around the hospital to help me settle in. Next thing we entered the female surgical medical ward where the consultant surgeon was having a post-round discussion with his interns. As the medical superintendent introduced me to this team, I spotted a drop dead gorgeous lady and of course I was staring so hard at her I paid no attention to anything or anyone else in the room. This beauty was my very own Gloria*.
I was determined to meet her, so I began devising tactics in my head… thinking of how to make a beeline for her without being too obvious, invite her for a drink, a meal, a date. Before I knew it we were dating. Gloria got to know me better than anyone had ever known me, and the same can be said in reverse.
Then came the career pursuit phase which created distance , both physical and emotional. With all the upheaval, we tried to move on and forget each other not knowing that our paths were already destined. Time went by, and day in day out, the Holy Spirit laid Philippians 4:6 in my heart. “Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God.”
Standing on this as my anchor scripture, I began to pray fervently for my wife. I asked God for a woman with specific traits that seemed impossible to meet. I prayed that she would be God fearing, loving, humble, pleasant and friendly, hard working, smart, honest , bold courageous… trust me there is more! This is not where it ends. As I prayed, I came to the understanding, or rightly put, God helped me discern that what I had been praying for, He had already blessed me with years before. It had been right there in front of me all along but without me first asking God, my spiritual eyes had remained shut. Let’s just say what God has ordained will come to pass. Headstrong as she is and stubborn as I am, God decided we were meant for each other; we compliment and complete each other.
Fast forward to a few months later. Distance, myriad journeys across continents, rings designed and plans made… knee taken eventually , question popped. She said yes!!! It struck me that this happy ever after had began years before we had an inkling what God was doing, and here we were years down the line saying a prayer and riding off into the sunset… with God as our third strand.
To put it in the words of the great King Solomon in Ecclesiastes 4 :12 “A person standing alone can be attacked and defeated, but two can stand back to back and conquer. Three are even better, for a triple-braided cord is not easily broken.” Indeed we are not easily broken.
So there you have it. Be encouraged dear sisters, continue to wait on the Lord. Even when you don’t see it He’s working. If He could orchestrate this unlikely love story, weave it across continents and still perfect it in His own time, He can do it for you. As the Bible says, trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding. In all your ways submit to Him, and He will make your paths straight.