How the Coach Won My Heart - Part Two

From the time I was a very little girl, my dad had made a point of talking to me about boys. To save my heart, to protect my heart. We had lunch often (still do) and he always showered me with affection and most of all, his time. He was/is the best Daddy.

Later on, I learned about courtship. I made a commitment to wait for God's timing and only enter emotional attachment with my parent's blessing when I was old enough and ready for marriage. You can learn more about courtship here. It made so much more sense than just giving pieces of my heart to guys that I "liked". I wanted to give my whole heart to ONE man.

But in the meantime, that ONE man didn't come along. In my immaturity and impatience, I began to doubt. I was only 20, but it felt like I was destined to be an old maid. I figured no one that I would be interested in would pass the requirements that my dad had. I began to think there was no one like that out there.

So when the opportunity came along to renew a relationship with a guy that I had always liked, I let it happen.

At first it really was no big deal. But when it was apparent that he needed to take some initiative with my dad, things got ugly. My parents didn't believe he was the ONE for me. They began to put the brakes on.

I didn't really want to continue to hide from them or do things without their knowledge. I couldn't figure out why they were against a relationship with him. He was a nice guy - a Christian - great family. In my mind it made no sense, and only served to convince me even more that in my dad's mind, no one was good enough.

My parents instructed me to end the relationship. I didn't.

I'm so grateful, now, that the guy was a gentlemen. That God protected both of us. The problem is, when you are out from under authority and outside of God's will, you just dig yourself in deeper and deeper.

I was in a huge amount of inner turmoil. I truly believed this guy loved me. And I desperately wanted to be married and have a family. But I wanted more.

I wanted to marry WITH my family's blessing. I wanted a love story that glorified God. I wanted a man that would do whatever it took to win my father's approval and my heart. Someone who thought I was worth it. Whatever it took.

Problem was, I didn't think it was possible. I had lost the hope of that dream.

Until that day when the Coach called. HE was the kind of guy I'd dreamed of. And he was interested in me.

And I had completely blown it by settling for second best.

From that moment on, things began to change. I saw that phone call (not the Coach himself, necessarily) as the Lord saying to me, "See, I'm big enough to handle this. Let go." It took awhile, but God began to break me and bring me back to Himself. Once again, under my parent's authority and submissive to Him. It was a long, horrible, painful process. But through it all, even though I didn't know anything about the Coach, he was in the back of my mind.

Would he think I was worth it? Would he do what it took? Would he be able to please my father and win his approval?