Couple Silhouettes

Made Beautiful in His Time

I am sharing with you our testimony on how God made our love story so beautiful as we learned to surrender everything to Him.

Summer of 2007, I met a guy during one of the Singles Ministry gatherings at church. At that time I was stuck with the idea of “falling in love.” This guy and I thought that it was “ok” to get into a relationship without consulting God and our parents. We were already in our mid-20’s, we were both employed and most importantly, we share the same faith in Jesus. We thought that the criteria to get into a relationship have been met. I was so ecstatic that I have finally found someone to be with!

My parents were surprised when we told them that we have decided to enter into a serious relationship. They acknowledged the relationship but with hesitations. Less than a week after, they asked us take things slow and start over again. We agreed to do so, but it was done half-heartedly. Half-hearted obedience was never pleasing to God. We were too blind to see that our character needed a lot of molding.

God allowed something very painful to happen to our family, that and his arrogance led my parents to talk to him requesting to distance himself from me. It was a very hard decision to obey my parents at that time. I know that I love my parents but I also have strong feelings for this guy. My struggle to obey my parents and to obey God became a great challenge. I was too selfish that I began to question God.

“Lord, I serve You in the ministry and this is the only thing that I ask of you. Why did you allow it to happen? He’s a Christian, what’s wrong with our relationship?”

God pursued me in the midst of my pain and struggle. He led me to my life verse, Jeremiah 29:11

“For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord. “Plans to prosper you and not to harm you. Plans to give you hope and a future.”

Jesus made himself known to me and He did not allow me to give up on my relationship with Him. God taught me to seek Him and to once again, surrender everything to Him. He took up all my broken pieces and comforted me.

God continued to be faithful to me and led me to maximize and enjoy “singleness” by re-igniting my childhood dream to travel. God changed my perspective in life and led me to change my spending habits and set my priorities right. During this time, God has nurtured my relationship with Jesus and led me to fully trust Him and to wait upon Him.

About three years ago, during one of my quiet time, God talked to me through the book of Esther.

“What is it that you want? Even up to half the kingdom, it will be given to you.”

Deep in my heart, I knew what it is that I really want. With much conviction and boldness, I started praying to God for my heart’s desire to have a family of my own – with the full blessing of my parents. God did not immediately answer my prayers, but I know I have to persevere and to wait patiently on the Lord.

I did not give up on praying to God for that desire yet to be answered. It was on an out-of-town trip with some friends from church last May 2015, that God made a promise to me: Ecclesiastes 3:11

“He has made everything beautiful in its time. He has also set eternity in the human heart; yet no one can fathom what God has done from beginning to end.”

God’s promise for me was sealed with the most spectacular sunrise and sea of clouds I have ever seen. I know and I believe in my heart that God will give me my heart’s desire in His perfect time.

March 06, 2016, God has once again shown His faithfulness and grace as my one and only, ex-boyfriend showed up by our front door with a bouquet of roses to pursue me. The day before, he mustered up the courage to talk to my parents to ask for their full blessing to pursue me with the intention of marrying me. Only by God’s amazing grace, he proposed to me in the presence of both our parents, our spiritual parents and closest friends last July 25, 2016.

We tied the knot in a simple garden wedding ceremony surrounded by our family and closest friends last April 2017. As we look back on our journey, we came to realize that the pain and the struggle of obeying God and honoring our parents is all worth it. It was God who sustained us to patiently wait upon Him as we fully surrender our deepest desires to Him through kneeling down in prayers.

To God be all the Glory!

 

3 Comments

  1. Hope 9/29/2017
  2. Janel 10/4/2017
  3. emmali 7/21/2018

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