Five Years

Today has been what I like to call "a Scotland day." The temperature has hovered around 50, and the rain has either come down in torrents or settled into a fine mist under overcast skies. As much as I love the sun, the Scottish weather has been appropriate for the day.

Call me sentimental, but I love celebrating September 26--our dating anniversary. In the week preceding, I often find myself reminiscing about my time in Aberdeen, Scotland, clearing a courtyard of debris, hauling thousands of pieces of flooring from the demolished church basement, handing out sweets at the local universities, and finding myself crushing on the children's pastor at Aberdeen AOG.

I hadn't set off to find a guy to crush on during my trip. In fact, I'd bristled when one of our team leaders jokingly told us girls to watch out (there was a history of American girls falling in love with Scottish guys at this church). I did not set out on this trip to find my husband.

But then I started noticing Dave Gwynne as he helped with some of the construction work, interacted with university students as we handed out sweets, and played with the babies at the church's Mums 'n Tots group. I even wrote in my journal, "Dave would make a great friend. I could see him hanging out with my other friends back home, playing Tetris." (Our group at the time was obsessed with playing Tetris whenever we could get the chance.)

September 26, 2006

I didn't get to talk to Dave much during the trip; I admired him from afar. But on September 25, he stopped by the church office to drop off toilet paper. (Yes, that was on his to-do list for work that day.) We struck up a conversation about the rivers in Aberdeen and other local info I could use for the newsletter article I was writing for my church. He was the sweetest, most helpful guy I had met in a long time. He had to run off that afternoon, and I was sad when the rest of the day passed by without another visit from him.

Little did I know that the following day, he would ask me and my friends if we would like to walk around Aberdeen during our afternoon off. Little did I know that a conversation about how he wore his watch would turn into never leaving each other's side for the rest of the day. Little did I know that I would hug him at the end of a fun evening at the pool hall with our friends and hear a quiet whisper in my mind: He's the one.

A few days after our engagement in April 2007

I came home from that trip the next day and was thrilled to see an e-mail from him waiting for me, just as he'd promised that night outside the pool hall. I knew that I would marry that guy, but it took some convincing other people. Every time a doubter would share concerns, I would just say to myself, "Just wait. They'll see they were wrong once we get married." I knew, deep down in my bones, that Dave Gwynne was the man I was meant to marry.

Married in 2008

We were engaged only seven months after we'd started dating. Yes, it was fast, but there are times in life when you know without a doubt that you're making the right decision. This was one of those times. Our engagement was a bit longer than our pre-engagement time, which allowed us more time to get to know each other, fly across the ocean and six time zones for visits, and complete premarital class solo. (Yes, I had to faithfully attend on my own with a photo of Dave as proof that he did exist.)

All the waiting was worth it. When we finally got married, I would look at him and tear up, amazed that he didn't have to leave to go back to Scotland anytime soon. We were together!

Thanksgiving 2009

Dave and I were talking about our dating anniversary as we ate a romantic dinner at Culver's tonight. I told him that, in some ways, I enjoy celebrating our "together" anniversary more than our wedding anniversary. As much as I loved our wedding and am so grateful for the ceremony and all it represents, I really think my life-changing day was September 26, 2006. That was the day I realized that all my years of waiting for a special guy to love, be loved by, serve God with, and grow with were totally worth the wait.

At a friend's wedding in 2010

I am so grateful that God orchestrated the events of two people living in totally different parts of the world to lead them to each other. I'm so grateful that I followed His lead when He planted a love for the UK when I was a teen and a desire to serve there when I was a college student. I am so grateful for the strength He gave both of us when people doubted and when the pain of missing each other seemed close to unbearable.

On vacation in August 2011

The Lover of my soul led me to the love of my life on September 26, 2006, and that is why I look forward to celebrating this day every year. Happy anniversary, my love. Thank you for an amazing five years!