I believe that everyday one should reflect and praise God for His faithfulness displayed in their life. However, there are also those monumental days that provide the opportunity to reflect on a bigger picture of God's faithfulness. For me, one of those days occurred last Friday, September 5th. September 5th marked the day one year prior that TJ and I embarked on our pursuit of a relationship with one another in the hopes of one day becoming husband and wife (little did I know it would be within the year). As I reflect on our story and the last year, I am completely in awe of God and His faithfulness. As I reflect, I see how He took our two hearts and began preparing them for one another over a decade ago. I see how He worked over the last year to sanctify us for His honor and glory. I see how God chose to knit our hearts closer together by the power of the gospel and how it is with this same power He equips us with the grace we need to continue pursuing Him as the foundation of our marriage. I am filled with joy knowing that this is only one year, we still have a lifetime ahead of us to witness and experience God's hand in our lives!
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| September 2013 |
So what's our story? How did God begin preparing us several years ago? This is what was shared with the guests at our wedding.
TJ:
I was raised in a
sheltered, Christian home by Christ-centered, loving parents. The Spirit drew
me to Christ at a young age through my Awana book. With a little more
assistance from my mother with a prayer, I was an adopted son of God. God
taught me a lot about the man He wanted me to become and the character I was to
reflect…His. Through the grace of many, but mostly His, God was preparing me
for the ministry of husband and father. I learned Christ, and His forgiveness,
love and furthermore, His desires for my life. At the time I didn’t recognize
it, but God’s hand was at work in the lives of everyone I looked up to that I
may have seen His character in them.
Along the journey of
life today, God has allowed my heart to break for things He cares about such as
good work ethics, loyalty, His love for His children, and more centrally to
today, the role of ministry of husband and father. I have had incredibly
examples of marriages set before myself to witness and seek wisdom from while
growing, and I feel as though I have numerous sets of parents.
Seeking out my bride has
been a prioritized pursuit in my life for several years, allowing God to take
control of that area has been the most rewarding and fruitful time of my life.
I can say with certainty, I am the most blessed individual to be standing
before you today. Receiving the gift of a bride is overwhelmingly joyful for me
as I know it is the pursuit of Christ, and His desire for my life for His
glory.
Jordyn:
I was blessed to be raised in a home where I was taught to
love the Lord with my whole heart, and to find my contentment in Him alone. I
quickly discovered finding contentment in Christ doesn’t come naturally but is
an intentional pursuit, difficult to live out, particularly when I hit the ‘boy
awareness’ stage of life. However, God
had prepared the way through my favorite babysitter. My babysitter modeled a different approach to
relationships, one that seemed to focus more on becoming the individual God
created her to be instead of focusing on who was the cutest guy around. In 7th grade, I made the
commitment to not date anyone unless the intent of the relationship was
marriage. This initial commitment was strengthened and challenged through many
conversations with my parents and reading books encouraging Godly
relationships. The book that had the
greatest impact was “When God Writes Your Love Story” by Eric and Leslie Ludy.
It challenged me to focus my heart on the Lord, seeking the characteristics He
calls a woman to be, and trusting that in His timing, God would write my love
story. Being surrounded by a society
focused on guy-girl relationships it was a struggle, and often lonely, to stand
firm in this commitment. It was easy to catch myself searching for the
“perfect” guy or my potential husband.
However, my parents encouraged me to see young men as my brothers in
Christ and strive for healthy relationships versus seeking to only fulfill my
emotional desires. Most importantly,
they encouraged me to set my heart on the Lord and to seek after Him. Through
this seeking, the Lord taught me the importance of finding my complete identity
in Him alone, not in achievements or in what other people think of me. I
learned that my worth comes only from Christ which is displayed through the
work He did on the cross. He adopted me
as his daughter and is faithful to me from the past, in the present and in my
future. Little did I know, while the
Lord was working on my heart, He was also at work in the heart of a handsome,
young man from North Dakota. A man who would fulfill my heart’s desires
surrendered to the Lord in 7th grade.
Our story:
TJ and Jordyn met for
the first time on August 1st at a frozen yogurt shop in Sioux Falls.
Having no visual contact prior to their first date, TJ, spell bound by Jordyn,
momentarily lost the ability to speak; In fact, he forgot to say “hi” but only
offered a hand shake. Jordyn, feeling
very nervous about their meeting, wondered how she would possibly be able to
keep down the frozen yogurt she was consuming. Fortunately for Jordyn, they did
more talking than eating and both of them not only survived but greatly enjoyed
the evening. So much so, that at the
end of their time together, they agreed to meet again soon. ‘Soon’ came a few weeks later when Jordyn
invited TJ out to her house for a bonfire allowing him meet her entire family
and then some. When TJ arrived, James
(Jordyn’s dad) was fixing Jordyn’s flat tire so TJ jumped right in and offered
to help out (scoring some points with Jordyn).
A few days later when TJ and Jordyn were hanging out, TJ suggested they
be rebellious and eat dessert before supper. They proceeded to grab ice cream
and go on a walk through McKennan Park. As they were walking, TJ and Jordyn
began discussing the personal values and convictions God had impressed on their
hearts and how they have chosen to live them out. Upon discovering their values
and convictions were the same, TJ knew Jordyn would one day be his wife while
Jordyn found she was falling hard and fast for TJ. During her drive home Jordyn
began praying, asking the Lord for confirmation if things were to continue with
TJ. Bright and early the next morning, TJ showed up at the front counter of
Scooter’s Coffeehouse (where Jordyn worked) holding Jordyn’s favorite flower
and expressing how much he admired her and hoped their friendship would
continue. Confirmation! TJ and Jordyn continued to spend time together, talking
and asking each other probing questions, individually praying about what the
future may hold for their friendship. During this time, the Lord began to knit
their hearts together and confirm further pursuit. Unbeknownst to Jordyn, TJ
called James and asked to meet with him to discuss TJ’s intentions in pursuing
a relationship with Jordyn. On September 5th, TJ asked Jordyn to
begin dating with the intent of marriage should the Lord continue to lead them
in that direction. She, obviously, said YES! Over the next several months, TJ
and Jordyn continued to grow in their relationship with each other. As they sought out wisdom from the Lord and
other individuals, they became more confident in God’s plan to unite their
lives together in marriage. On April 12th, TJ and Jordyn went on
another walk through McKennan Park, their conversation this time was one
reflecting on God’s faithfulness and grace in their lives and in their
relationship. During the conversation,
TJ started speaking words of affirmation over Jordyn. Taking them as
compliments, Jordyn responded by expressing to TJ characteristics she
appreciated about him. TJ interrupted her: “Jordyn JoAnne Swanson, I have a
very important question to ask you.” Getting down on one knee, TJ asked Jordyn
to be his wife! Looking back, TJ and
Jordyn can see how God was leading them as individuals to pursue Christ and who
He created them to be. Long before they ever met, God was writing their love
story. TJ and Jordyn also see each of you here today are part of their story.
They are thankful for the role you have played in their lives. Now, as they
embark on this journey of marriage, they ask you to continue to up hold them in
prayer. Praying for God’s love and grace
to reign supreme in their marriage, that their marriage would reflect God’s
love for His bride, the church, and He would use them to further His Kingdom,
for His glory.
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| August 2014 |
