This is Kieren ๐
Twelve years ago, I prayed for a man who God had purposed for my life. I mean, the one who had actually been written in God’s book and not the few questionable characters, I decided to date over the years.
I remember asking God, after recently becoming a Christian myself, to give me a peace about being single until the man He wanted for me, came into my world. Three weeks later, Kieren came back hobbling back into it.
I say hobbling because we reconnected after knowing each other during the college years and Kieren hobbled into my hospital room after our reconstruction knee surgery, same day, same surgeon, same physiotherapist, the lot. Now, there’s a story but not for today!
I remember praying sincerely for a man of integrity and Godly character. Someone who would love me, for me, and someone who would have a love and passion for God that would lead us into our purposes as individuals and as a family.
After the surgery, we started the long rehabilitation process together. Two months later we were engaged, and a year from that date, we were married at a beautiful location in Sri Lanka.
Sounds idyllic right?
It was, but Kieren wasn’t a Christian at that point and it took a five-year journey before gave his life to Christ.
I used to become so frustrated with him because God and I had a “deal” about the Godly man He was supposed to give me!
(Start cringing) So I would read the Bible OUT LOUD when my poor guy was trying to get some sleep, or casually get mutual friends and I talking about Jesus, EVERYTIME we met up because I thought that Bible-bashing was the way forward to Kieren loving God, but actually, it had the opposite effect.
We would argue over having faith to “just” believe.
I pleaded with Kieren because I was petrified of him going to hell.
I shouted at his lack of trusting me, or God, and then I cried a lot, in frustration and anger…
Then God reminded me that if it was not my job to convince Kieren that He was real, my role was to love him as the second part in our three stranded cord (Ecclesiastes 4:12). Kieren was the one whom my soul loved and I knew that this was the guy, who God had truly given to me. Therefore, I let go and trusted God in the journey that He took us on.
Was it easy for me, no. I have been known to want God to show me the whole picture before I do anything and God has also taught me patience along the way, but I learnt a valuable lesson during that time:
Gold and silver needs to be refined in fire, to become pure, and it is a process for us all.
We can look at others during certain seasons in life and think that God is moving in their lives, but actually, God did refining in my heart too – that still empowers me to this day.
Kieren is an incredible man. He is everything that I prayed for, and more. Is he perfect, no (sorry babe) but I no longer expect him to be, so that he is now free to move where God wants him to be and not, what I expected from him.
“A cord of three strands is not quickly broken” Ecclesiastes 4:12
If you know that God gave you, your husband or wife, don’t give up. We are all on a journey to wholeness, but it’s when we call out our partners true character, that we start to see the gold and a God-given relationship should be worth fighting for.
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