I was 15 years old when I first saw my husband. He was 16 at the time. It was Wednesday night youth group and I was the new girl in town. I sat in the bleachers watching kids play basketball while a girl named Laurie pointed out the names of different students to me. One boy in a sleeveless T-shirt captured my attention and I kept asking what his name was. “I already told you,” Laurie snickered. “That’s Nathan, the youth pastor’s son. She caught me. And if I wasn’t careful I was probably gawking too. After all, he was tall, blond, tan and athletic. He was a grade above me and as he moved around the court effortlessly I considered my chances of becoming a high school basketball cheerleader, even though I currently home-schooled.
A few months later I invited my best friend Sara to youth group and pointed out Nathan to her. “See? That’s him. That’s the guy I’m going to marry someday.”
She looked at me incredulously and said, “Leanne, he doesn’t even know your name!” I fought off her negativity with the incentive, “I’ll let you be my Maid of Honor at our wedding.” To which she replied, “Okay, you’ve got a deal.” Five years later I kept my promise to her.
Obviously, I had no idea what I was getting into as a 15-year-old girl when I fell head over heels for Nathan. When I first saw him, it was the external things that drew me to him; His outward appearance, athleticism, and confidence. But I didn’t really know what love was. Not really. Not fully.
When Nathan DID finally take notice of me, our early dating years were a blast with snowmobiling in the winter, and fishing in the summer. We both worked at the same flower shop in town and went to the same college after high school graduation.
However it wasn’t the fun dates, flowers, letters or jewelry that solidified my commitment to him.
Nathan was 18 years old when his family took in a newborn foster daughter named Stephanie. But she quickly became something uniquely special to everyone and when his parents were considering the idea of adoption he told them, “If you don’t adopt this girl, I will.”
That was when I knew my future forever with Nathan was sealed. He had the heart of gold I wanted.
I know some people thought we were crazy for getting married at the young age of 20 and 21. To this day I have no regrets about it. We knew what we had was good so why wait?
But it would take years to truly understand just how good:
Holidays, babies, job loss, a new house, disease, new friends, death, tragedy and travels... These experiences, both exciting and difficult would test and try us, but in the end they always made us stronger- praise God!
Through it all, Nathan has been a provider, protector, father, caretaker, sacrificial giver, my rock, cheerleader, loving husband and faithful friend. I didn’t see that from the bleachers as a 15 year old. Or even at the alter when I said “I do” when I was 20. But I see it now. It makes me wonder what I’ll see in the next 20 (or so) years from now. I look forward to it! He’s quite a man.
