To the Man Who Loves Me (Part 3)

 A quick recap of "To the Man Who Broke Me (Part 1)" and "To God Who Restores Me (Part2):"

The girl dated a very narcissistic abusive man who she felt deep in her heart that she shouldn't have. She went through 4 years of hardship as she tried to remove herself from this man who held onto her so tightly. She managed to get away only because the country shut down because of a quarantine.

Through the help of God's guidance and protection, the girl saw a lot of healing happen within herself a year before she was able to remove herself from this abusive man. She was ready for what God wanted her to do next even though the Covid-19 pandemic was only at its start.

Now back to the story. The girl starts her journey into online dating while also making plans to live in a van or save for school. The girl sifts through many profiles of men that are in her age range. She matches with several suitors over the course of 3 months. She goes on a couple of not-so-great dates with one guy who had some commitment issues. The girl feels that she is exhausting her options of Christian men in a 100-mile radius to the point where only 1 new guy would show up every few days.

In early June, she considers deleting the Bumble because it seemed like God was closing that door and she was ready to continue on with the other two options. She decides that she will give herself a couple more weeks of using the app and would stop using it on her 25th birthday at the end of the month.

A couple days before she visits family in early-mid June, she stumbles upon a guy's profile that stuck out to her more than any profile. His love for God, his family and friends, and his hobbies intrigues her, but she thinks he is way out of her league. Yes, she still swipes right thinking, "Well, it won't hurt. He'll probably move on pretty quickly."

A few more days pass and she is looking forward to a beach trip with some childhood friends and seeing her family because it's almost been a year since she has seen them. She flies across the country with her mask on and luggage in hand. After she runs across from one side of the airport to the other to catch her layover, she looks down at her phone out of breath but relieved that she didn't miss her flight to her hometown. She notices that she has a new match on Bumble. It's the man who she thought is out of her league. She takes a shot in the dark and messages him a question that requires some thought but not too much of a curve ball. She gets a response almost immediately so she responds back. Their conversation continues for another 15 minutes until the girl has to put her phone on airplane mode.

The girl's plane lands and she is reunited with her family who she missed dearly. She enjoys her time with her friends at the beach and later with family. The girl continues to get to know the man on Bumble and learns that they have a lot more in common than what is portrayed on his profile as they ask each other questions. The girl feels comfortable and safe enough that this guy is genuine and tells the truth about his life so she agrees to meet with him for a date the day after she returns from her trip.

The 10-day trip feels so short, but the girl is optimistic about the budding relationship that she is forming with this man. Their date is simple but relaxing. It is a walk in a forest along a well-populated trail. As they walk, they share their testimonies and the things that mean the most in their lives. After a long walk, they eat Mexican food at a local authentic restaurant and talk for a few more hours. Both are very hesitant for a couple months to let the other in because of the hurt that both had gone through.

After both trusting in God and continuing to get to know each other, it becomes clear to both the girl and this guy that marriage is definitely in the cards. They continue their relationship for another 2 months before they get engaged to build a stronger foundation as friends since they didn't know each other before Bumble. The man becomes someone the girl can rely and trust on where he takes care of her in a loving and provisional way. She realizes how much God knew the type of man the girl needed after all she has been through.

Their engagement is full of trials. The girl goes through another move but one that is closer to the man's family so that she has people she knows closer to her as she waits and plans their wedding. She goes through so many hoops to figure out their wedding because of Covid and the changing restrictions as well as having family 3,000 miles away. The wedding works out despite all of the changes that the girl and the man who loves her went through. Their wedding is beautiful and unique but most of all Christ-centered.

As life continues, the girl starts seeing the things that she craved for for a long time. The man shows his love in his tender care but also fun-loving personality. He comforts her when she struggles with her health, her failures, and anxiety but always makes sure to bring her back to Christ. He prays with her and over her. He provides her with the stability that she never knew. He also teases her in a loving kind of way...

 

Everyday life (for me) sometimes has its ups and downs. Some days feel like hills while others feel like valleys or a combination of both, but God is continuously faithful and I can say that with confidence despite all that I went through.