How We Got Married

A friend of mine asked me to share how I met my wife and how she became my wife. I actually met her when I was on outreach during bible school. The girls on my team stayed at her house and we spent a lot of time there -- they had a trampoline. I do remember meeting her and speaking with her, and I recall that there was something about her that set her apart from others, but I never dwelt on it. That was in May of 1998.

After bible school I lived as a type of missionary, off and on, until 2001. What I mean is that I had three years where I did Christian missionary work full time, and two years were spent doing retreats here and there, but not quite full time. In the fall of 2000, after a trip to Rome, I entered the seminary with the Companions of the Cross. I felt that I really had to discern the priesthood, since I wanted to give my life completely to Christ, and a few people had told me that I would make a good priest. So I checked it out. I enjoyed my time spent with the other guys in the sem. I learned how to play ping pong, and how not to cook. My time wasn't always peachy -- another gentleman and I had very similar stubborn qualities, needless to say, we clashed.

In the sem I had a chance to work on my spiritual life. I began to understand the spousal nature of my relationship with Jesus Christ, and I learned a little more about who I am. I was also introduced to the wide world of philosophy through an excellent college, College Dominicain. During my time there, I began to realize something very odd: that God wanted me to be happy. Imagine that. This God, whom we are told loves us, also wants to give us the desires of our hearts -- to make us happy here on earth. This concept was so foreign to me. I thought that I was destined to become a priest, not to become happy (the two were like a dichotomy for me).

Anyway, the people in charge of formation wisely discerned that I ought to begin thinking about leaving, about changing directions for a while and see where God might lead me. I did, and I wound up back in Radway, AB to work at the Bible School's farm as a maintenance person. That was where I met Kara.

She had received a vision that summer, before I met her, that God would bring a man into her life, and that she wouldn't need to approach him, but that he would approach her -- she told me that after we started dating. When I saw her the first time, there was something about her that made me say, "Lord, I want to marry THAT one!" So I took my time and tried to get to know as best as I could. I was well aware of the problems of infatuation, and I didn't want to make a mistake. I would often pray that the Lord would provide an opportunity for me to speak with her and get to know her better, and every time that I prayed that prayer, an opportunity knocked. For example, out of the blue she decided to eat at the Bible School farm, where I had quietly planned to have my lunch too. That is just one example, but there were many.

The next month I had decided to go to Ireland for another mission trip. Before I left, I made sure to tell her how I felt, and ask if she was interested in pursuing a relationship that might lead to marriage. The rest is history.

I will cut it short here, because this post is about to become too long. But if anyone wants to hear the rest of the story (there were a few bumps along the way), let me know, and I will post the rest.