Perfecto

God is perfect, we are not. This blog today is a little different and stems from a conversation Francisco and I were having this morning before he left for work. Some of you might not know him that well, or the two of us as a couple, so I would like to share with you all a little bit of our conversation. I share this more because I am amazed at how the Lord has mapped out our lives and has done a good job at it. So grab a snack or a coffee and sit back and enjoy as I retell a little bit of how Francisco and I met and married.
It is by no mistake that we are married and together which makes me feel so reassured that Francisco is the man the Lord has chosen for me to share my life with and do ministry together. I am going to start in March 2003 when I went on a Mexico missions trip (with the motive to practice my Spanish) to Casa Hogar, that is where I met the pastor that would soon marry Francisco and I (along with Pastor Sterner). When I came back I was overcome by the amount of Latinos who lived in Forest view trailer courts (right up the hill from Parkview). The Lord busted through all my pride and with 1 other person I went up and knocked on every door (100+) with an invitation explaining how the following Saturday we would have lunch for them and I wanted to get to know them. Through this event no one showed up, except for one man through this man the Lord spoke and he suggested having English classes, which the people would come and that is how we could get to know them. We are now on our 3rd year of English classes. So this is where Francisco comes into the picture. Was he a student? No. In the summer of 2004 I met Francisco through his cousin Maria who attended my ESL classes. Maria and I hit it off, she is close to my age and we had very similar personalities. I spent many days up at her house and hanging out with her (all with the intention of sharing Jesus with her). Her and I liked to play basketball on their little court and that is how Francisco arrived with his buddies. They were our competition. The minute I saw him...I thought, "wow" and then he was so different from the rest (I know that's what they all say) , but I am serious. He was very respectful and quiet. That was as far as that went. Then in August was Maria's birthday. She called one night wanting me to go to a dance with her to celebrate. I was very reluctant to go, but one of my roommates at the time reminded me that this is the best way to get into her life. So I went. The Lord had other plans for me. That is where I officially talked to Francisco and we decided to go for dinner the next night. I felt a little on the crazy side:) We went for dinner and he decided he wanted to get to know me more, but I had already decided he was the man I wanted to marry. So we started hanging out and then eventually dating and then married. Did I mention exactly one week after we met he was scheduled to go back to Mexico to live? Only one week and did I mention I was approaching my sixth year of college when 2 years before that I should have been finished and living somewhere else? Did I also mention that I was not even thinking about boys, in fact I told my friend Lindsay that I would be totally content being single or not getting married until 30? Oh yeah did I also mention that a year before I met him I wanted to live in the trailer courts and my aunt told me that my future husband probably lives in those trailer courts? Disgusted by her remark I refused to even pay attention to her. The Lord is so creative. This all might not seem like that big of a deal, but as Francisco and I were talking this morning we were overcome with how everything was planned even right down to the day. If it would have been a week later he would have been on his way. Oh yeah, I have to add this one important detail. In high school my nickname was "flunko" because I hated Spanish and barely passed each year. For some insane reason I decided to take it my freshman year in college which lead to me wanting to major in it. What????!!!! The Lord has been preparing me for this marriage way before I even laid eyes on Francisco. I don't want to ever forget how great the Lord works and how thankful I am that he is the one in control and planning everything. I'm amazed. He has tied each step of my life together. Who said living life with the Lord is dull? I don't know, but this is a lot more exciting to me than getting drunk and waking up the next day feeling like I was run over by a semi. My life has purpose and I see that I mean something to the Lord....that even when I am not walking straight he is still putting together the pieces of my life. He is perfect, and we are made perfect in Him. Thank you Jesus.