Rod & Rose

On our 10^th wedding anniversary, I find myself reminiscing about the way it all began. For us, it happened with the click of a mouse on a dating site called “Love & Seek.” I lived in Michigan at the time. Rose lived in New Mexico.

Anyone who’s played the online dating game knows it’s actually a game of hide and seek: players tend to hide the truth about who they really are – posting photos of themselves from days long gone – while at the same time seeking the perfect mate – hoping against hope they’re the “real deal.” A major component of the game is scrolling aimlessly through the hundreds of smiling faces vying for attention. Every now and then, one might pause to take a closer look, and then scroll on…and on…and on.

Following a late night of sitting at the campfire in my backyard, contemplating the glowing embers and other wonderful mysteries, I meandered back into the house. It was late, and I was ready for bed. On my way toward the bedroom, I passed by my laptop, and gave in to the urge to take one last look. Just in case.

And there she was. Beautiful brown eyes were looking back at me…the most gorgeous eyes I’d ever seen. She was wearing a black cowgirl hat, and her smile literally made my heart trip over itself. She was stunning.

So I clicked to take a closer look. She was obviously an outdoor kind of gal. She mentioned something in her profile about “racing to the top of the mountain,” which quite honestly quickened my pulse just thinking about the possibility. Then I mustered all the courage I could to take the next step; that is, actually communicate with her. I typed the words, “So what’s happening in New Mexico?” And I hit the send button. [I know, not all that creative, but I was a little enamored at the moment.]

And she clicked back! She thought I was “safe” since I lived so far away. She was on the dating site because a friend of hers had convinced her that she needed a pen pal. She invited me to the Balloon Fiesta–and nearly fainted when I accepted. We hiked in the mountains, and she raced me to the top – and won. [I blame it on being a lowlander.] A few weeks later she met me in Detroit when I returned from a trip to Kenya. A month after that, we got married – the 3^rd time we were together.

That was 10 years – and a multitude of amazing adventures – ago. I never imagined I would be married to a woman as wonderful as Rose. And there’s a secret to the wonder of who she is. It’s a secret she shared with me in the spirit of “full-disclosure” shortly before we got married. I guess it was a confession of sorts. Rose told me I would never be number one in her life. That place had already been taken. Her Papa God was her number One. I was welcome to the number two place in her life.

I’m not sure when it actually hit me – the significance of being second to God. But that’s what I am – number two to God [at least in Rose’s life]. I’m married to a woman who seeks the heart of God with all her heart, and I’m the beneficiary of the love that pours from my heavenly Father through her. I’m married to a woman who honors me as her husband – not just with her words, but with everything she is. She believes in me, and she forgives me when I become impatient or distracted. She shares her heart with me, and she listen when I share mine.

I’m number two to the One who blessed me with my beautiful Rose.

Happy anniversary, Rosa Maria…I love you eternally!