In Pursuit of my Heart: A Love Story

I stated in my last blog post, that I would share the story of how I came to Christ. I think you have waited long enough for that, so today is THE day! I also want to share the story of how my husband captured my heart. It is part of my love story, so it just would not be right to leave that part out.

Something I realize now, that I did not realize so many years ago, is that God has always been in pursuit of my heart. Loving me, calling to me, waiting for me. . .

Even as I sit here typing, I can feel the tears welling up in my eyes. Remembering my journey, where I came from to where I am now. I now understand that in order for God to win pursuit of us, we have to stop running.

My journey begins in the summer of 1994. My fiance at the time, had just ended our engagement, and I was devastated. It was the best thing for me. I know that now. But then, I was a big mess. I already had the dress, plans were under way, my life was perfect. Or as close to perfect as it could get. And then, out of no where, he called the wedding off and we went our separate ways.

I spent the summer mending my broken heart, working and getting ready for my third year of college. Life goes on, right? In September of that year, I started the new college year and was ready to start a new job. And then. . .October 1st, 1994 happened.

It was a beautiful day, much like the weather is today. Sunny and cool, the perfect Saturday. I headed out that morning, with my dad, to go looking at cars. Mine had been acting up and I was not happy about it. We went to a used car dealership and looked around, not finding anything to my liking, we headed back home.

I was driving, with my dad in the front passenger seat. We were on a very HIGH highway entrance ramp. You know the kind. They take you from one highway to another, curving around from high in the air, and slowly descending as they merge with the new highway. Did I mention that this one was HIGH? We were moving along, in single file fashion, coming to the end of the ramp. As I was getting ready to enter the highway, traffic stopped, and I looked down to see that the traffic on the highway was a little congested. THEN, I looked up in my rear view mirror, just in time to see the car that was coming up behind me at FULL speed. I knew it was going to hit me. The driver was coming too fast to avoid it. And there was no where for me to go.

I braced my body, the split second before impact. I blacked out, and have no memory of what happened next, until the paramedics arrived on the scene. My dad told me that we were knocked out onto the highway, facing oncoming traffic, where we were hit again, head on. The car was knocked down the highway and came to rest in the median, facing oncoming traffic.

When I finally came to, I remember all of the people surrounding the car, asking if we were okay. They could not get the door open on my side. The impact broke both front seats and left us in a laying position. I remember trying to sit up, and not being able to move anything.

I remember the fear I felt.

When the paramedics arrived on the scene, they had to work their magic, to get me out of the car. I remember one of the firefighters telling me that he had eaten mint chocolate ice cream before getting the call, so his breath should be good. It makes me laugh that I remember that.

After what seemed like forever, the firefighters were able to get me out of the car, and onto a stretcher. I remember being put in the ambulance with my dad, and sobbing as he held my hand. I remember the paramedic calling my mom to tell her what had happened, and letting her know what hospital I was being taken to.

It was a hit and run accident. The man that hit me first, fled the scene. There were people that went in pursuit, trying to catch him before the police arrived. But in the end, he got away.

October 1, 1994 is the day that God began an earnest pursuit of my heart. Like the driver of that car, I was running away.

This is the story of how God captured my heart.

I will tell my story in parts, so be sure and stay tuned. I have pictures of my car, taken after the accident, that I will upload later tonight. I also want to share with you the thoughts I had, the day I saw my car. Since I left it on a stretcher, it was the first time I had seen the damage.

Until tonight. . .