You know how people say if you want to make God laugh, tell Him your plans? While I’m not sure of the theology of this phrase, there is some truth to God working in our lives in the very way we said would never happen.
Last February I was coming off a long-distance set-up that wasn’t the right fit at all, and I was feeling really burned out. I decided I needed some relationship distance, so I resolved to take a step back from online dating, being set-up, and any other way of meeting a guy. I didn’t mention this to anyone, but I felt the need to have a few months without the emotional rollercoaster and managing expectations stuff that comes with dating. That’s the part where God laughed at my plans.
A few weeks later, my best friend emailed me and said she knew a great guy who worked at her school, and she wanted to set us up. I was skeptical for so many reasons, but since she had already talked to him about me, I felt bad saying no. So I said he could have my number, but I doubted he would call or that anything would come of it if he did call. This is the part where God laughed again.
On March 27 this really great guy named Tyler called me, and much to my surprise, we hit it off. We had similar taste in books and movies, which we bonded over right away. Talking with him was easy and natural and didn’t feel awkward or like either one of us was trying too hard. He began calling me every Sunday as a way to intentionally get to know me. Over Memorial Day weekend I flew home to meet him, and after four days of some really fantastic dates, we decided to try the long-distance dating thing.
In June I applied for a job in St. Louis, one of a handful of jobs I had applied for over the previous few months. I had my first interview the week that Tyler came to Colorado to visit, and on the day he flew back to St. Louis, I had my second interview. A week later I accepted the job, which also meant an end to long-distance dating. Hallelujah!
I’m actually really thankful for the long-distance aspect of our relationship, and in the coming weeks I’ll write more about what I learned and how we’ve made the transition to dating face-to-face instead of over FaceTime.
As Tyler and I seek God’ s direction for the future, we have been so amazed at how God brought us together in His perfect timing. So many things that seemed random was really just God working in our lives to prepare us for each other. I’m reminded that God is a good God, and He really can be trusted.
