When I was in high school, I made a list of every single thing I would ever want in a guy. I placed it in my Bible, and to this day I've never shared it with anyone. So to share this with my students, hoping they learn that dreams do come true and God really listens to the desires of your heart, is one of the most exciting days of my teaching career. It's up there with teaching about the fall of Nazi Germany, which may always be number one in book!
My list, as I called it, was very specific. Sure a few things were broad, but I put things down to the very nth degree, because I had always been told that one day the right guy would come along. I never expected him to come along in the way he did (HA!), but my Sunday school teachers, Bible study leaders, rock solid family members were right. If you follow God, He will give you the desires of your heart.I put things on my list--like, he had to be good looking. Maybe it was shallow, but I got it.
I wanted a guy who liked to hunt, fish, and be outside. Because being stuck indoors the rest of my life sounded miserable. Cash even says that maybe one day we'll get to have a cabin up in the mountains, another dream of mine!
And I love sports, so having someone who loved every type of sport was towards the top of my list. I never realized that sports like rugby would ever be of any interest to me, but I have grown to love those short little rugby shorts! Okay, maybe not. But I do love the sports Cash has introduced me to...and the fact I get to watch baseball every time I'm with him doesn't make me mad.
(P.S. That's not Cash.)
But I grew up with a bunch of outdoor people, and one thing always stuck out to me: I also wanted someone who could look nice and present themselves well. I got the good end of that deal! I have to ask Cash if my outfits look okay. When I ran out of clothes (thank you, American Airlines for 2 days of cancellations) last time I was there, I had to use his athletic shorts and t-shirts. He finally said, "Let's go to the mall and get you some clothes." I think he was slightly embarrassed that I was looking so nasty! :)
A guy with a good job was one thing, but I wanted someone who pursued a career that he was passionate about. Amount of money never mattered to me, but intelligence and perseverance did. Cash works so hard, and I don't know how he gets up at 3 in the morning when a rig calls. Although I often ask when he does work since he gets to do whatever he wants and go on hunting and fishing trips with his boss, I know it's demanding. He has worked so hard!
But above the things you may consider shallow and ridiculous, I truly wanted someone with a sincere heart and great family. I've been able to go to Midland twice now, and both times I've had the most enjoyable time. Cash's family is so welcoming, and from the first day they made me feel at home. Plus, his little niece is about the cutest little girl I've ever seen!
Speaking of family, I wanted my family to love a guy. I must admit, before Cash my family was never too high about any guy. They might say, "Yeah, he's okay." or "If you like him, he'll do." But never did they really, really like someone. To be honest, I never even heard my dad speak to a guy before I took Cash to meet them. I was getting kind of jealous one afternoon when my dad completely ignored me and the political talk I wanted to have in order to talk to Cash about geology. I mean, seriously?! Dad even took us to lunch at Rivertowne (never thought that would happen) then gave Cash a tour of the operations building one Friday. The ladies at the Bank seemed pretty amazed that my dad introduced them to one of my boyfriends. They have known me my whole life, but they've never ever met a boyfriend.
Above all, however, I wanted someone with a passion for his relationship with God. Someone who respected me before he ever met me. Someone who supported me in my missions. Someone who craved more of Christ. To me that was always the hardest thing to find in someone my age. Going to church and loving Christ are 2 different ideologies. My parents support me, but Cash takes it to a new level. When I want to quit or go have fun or just do anything besides get ready for something at church, Cash doesn't just support me. He challenges me to keep going in my relationship with Christ and in life in general. One afternoon he drove me 2 hours to Lubbock to let me just see their law school, because he knows that has been a dream of mine since I was a little girl. This is us on the campus of Texas Tech!
And he is so willing to help prepare me for things I'm nervous to do that he is starting a study with me over the next few weeks. We are doing "Kona with Jonah", and I'm so excited! Jonah was called by God to go to a foreign country, but he was scared. So through a series of events, Jonah eventually found himself in the belly of a whale. The way God used Jonah's circumstances to get his attention are loud enough that I would never want to have to repeat his decisions. Finally, Jonah ended up where God wanted him despite his initial refusal. It is just God's perfect timing that Cash and I can do a study like this together (and I'm sorry, sweetheart, that it's probably a lot more feminine than you wanted :D).
Is Cash perfect? No. But I often get overwhelmed with how God guided me in my desires and then led those desires to my front door. No one person will ever encompass everything we need in life or fulfill all our happiness. We have to find the happiness inside ourselves, in our relationship with Christ, and in the setting that surrounds us. But not settling for an okay guy (or girl) or a temporary solution makes it worth the wait when you do discover the dream you have had your entire life. Just don't stop dreaming at a relationship...aim for a you that could never be duplicated. And that...that will make dreams come true.
I am so happy for you!!
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