Joy

I first met her rather innocently five years ago. Her father and I worked together. "No big deal, right?" I was in a season of isolation (reading an unhealthy amount of books each week) and disallusionment--not looking for the "woman of my dreams." And maybe it was because I'd stopped looking that the spirit was alloted the space to move in my life.

Our relationship started rather simple: letters from Detroit to Nashville, email's, phone calls (a lot of phone calls) and a few face to face dates.

After six months of courting, Kara and I had The Talk. It went something like this.

"Well, Kara, I'm a bit nervous."

"Ok, why?"

"Well, this is your first real relationship...and I'm trying to figure out how this will work. You are either a) so picky I'll never be able to live up to your standards or b) a bit innocent and I'll be the greatest thing ever. So...which is it, which will it be?"

Kara's answer was a beautiful foreshadow, "Well, I suppose one day I'll be naive and think your the greatest and the next day, my standards will be higher than what you can live up to," (rough paraphrase).

Today, we've been married for two years. I'm twenty-seven, these two years have been the most meaningful two years of my life.

Kara's name in Gaelic means "dear little girl", in Greek "joy."

God's presence really shows up in smallest but most powerful ways.