By the time you read this, it will be just a few days before my wedding. It’s hard to believe that it has been more than a year since I met this man, this gift that God gave to me. It has flown by in an absolute blur. But if you have read any of my writings, you will note at the bottom that I am a mother and a grandmother. So, you might wonder, how can it be that someone in this stage of life could possibly be getting married?

Well, here’s a little love story. I have been single quite a while (and he has been single 16 years.) Having been abandoned for an adulterous relationship, scripturally I was free to remarry, but I told God that I absolutely wasn’t interested. After all, I already had someone who slept in my bed on their back and snored—my beloved dog, Daisy Mae. I was quite happy with her. My church family is wonderful, my children, grandchildren, and my work, all are very satisfying.

Oh, I had tried eHarmony, but wasn’t too impressed and I don’t care for dating so I was just having fun and enjoying my life. One day while online, a popup caught my eye. "www.ChristianDate.com," and they said it was free. "Humph," I thought, "Nothing is free!" To prove my point, I filled it out and ran a quick search. One of the headlines caught my eye, "Nice guy looking for his best friend." I thought, "Oh brother, there are no nice guys left." So I sent a very terse email, "If you like my profile, write."

Thus began a correspondence that went for a full month before I would even give out my phone number! We learned we attended the same denomination, had attended the same church camp, knew the same people, and so much more. He changed his usual morning routine of breakfast and the newspaper, to breakfast and the computer. My emails were a sharing of a bit of my heart; his were transparent, funny, and a great way to start my mornings. He wanted to meet me, so I told him all the bad things about me of which I could possibly think. When he asked if I was trying to scare him off, and I replied, "Absolutely."

For a man who doesn’t talk much, I had barely pressed, "Send" with my phone number, and my phone began to ring. So began a conversation that lasted three hours that night, the next night, and which continues today. The very first evening we met, we shared devotions and prayer, and continue to do so today, although it will feel strange not to be on the phone praying and reading once we are married. This sweet man believes I am a gift from God (I believe he, too, is a gift), and we genuinely cherish what God has given us. Truly we look forward to sharing this with our friends and family, in addition to a good gospel message for those who attend our wedding but don’t know Him personally.

This past year I have learned so much about what it means to be loved unconditionally. It has freed me to be the funnest, most creative, loving, best Desirée I have ever been. Even greater than that has been the realization that God loves me so much more in that same way—unconditionally. It is so much easier to be myself with Him, flaws and all. I can tell my future husband the things on my heart and not be afraid of what he might say or think, even if he just shakes his head and says, "Where do you come up with this stuff?" It has made me ever bolder to tell my loving Papa God the deepest secrets of my heart (as if He doesn’t already know,) and have no fear that He’ll laugh at me or punish me. It has allowed me to then love others more, and more deeply. Finally, it has shown me how to forgive myself from past mistakes, and how to be more compassionate to others.

In the verse above, the Apostle Peter calls us to love each other and clearly teaches us that we need to love each other with passion and commitment! Not just husbands and wives, but brothers and sisters in Christ. In a few days, I will publicly vow to love this wondrous man with passion, commitment, and faithfulness before God and those present. But God’s Word tells me that I am called to love others in the Body of Christ in this same way, with this same intensity.

Ephesians 4 tells us, "You were all called to travel on the same road and in the same direction, so stay together, both outwardly and inwardly. You have one Master, one faith, one baptism, one God and Father of all, who rules over all, works through all, and is present in all. Everything you are and think and do is permeated with Oneness." Eph. 4:4-6 (MSG) All of us are weary "strugglers" together and what matters is that we have one Master, one faith, one baptism, and one God.

It doesn’t matter which denomination, what doctrine, the size, the color, nationality, level of wealth or learning or intelligence or any other measure of man we are; it is the Oneness in Him with which we must be saturated. You and I are called to travel on the same road in the same direction and to stay together—inwardly and outwardly.

There are many kinds of love, many moments when you experience love and in so many different ways, but I want always to love as if my life depended on it. By God’s grace that will be my heart and, I hope, yours too.

Blessings to you, and let’s keep traveling together, OK?

Copyright 2005 by Desiree Marrion

Desirée Marrion is a member of Eastside Foursquare Church. She is a single mom, a grandmother, and an administrative assistant at a medical research facility. You may reach her at: marrion8955@yahoo.com