love at first sight and True Love

A few weeks ago Bradley asked me to share my testimony,
my journey to and of faith, September 20.
September 20 is just 45 minutes away. 
I will be finished speaking in about 12 hours. 
A corner of my mind has been remembering highlights of the journey.
Sifting through it all, deciding what needs to be said, has been increasingly in my thoughts all day.
I am reminded vividly of the huge part Bill has played, not only in my life story here on earth, but in my eternal life story as well.

In ninth grade I experienced"love at first sight" when I saw Bill.
Three years later he noticed me and we went on out first date.
Within two months we were talking about marriage.
We were engaged before we had dated seven months.
Before we celebrated eight months together he had my engagement ring back in his pocket because of some things I shared with him about my life.

That break up led to me meeting the love of my life.

In ninth grade I got baptized as a "stay out of hell" insurance policy.
Bad, hurtful stuff happened in my life.
I made some stupid choices.
I chased what I thought was love and lived a life full of sin
and I was an expert at hiding it.
I did it all, with no one the wiser, while attending church, being active in youth group and teaching Sunday School.

The grace, mercy and forgiveness Bill showed me when I was honest about what I had been involved in gave me a taste of the love of God and it made me hungry for more. 
I began to understand that Christianity is a relationship with God.
By the time we had been married five years God had become the love of my life, and over the years my relationship with Him has become increasingly more intimate.

My "love at first sight" introduced me to the love of my life.
I am eternally grateful.
True Love is mine.

"...If God is for us, who can be against us? He who did not spare His own Son but gave Him up for us all, how will He not also with Him graciously give us all things? Who shall bring any charge against God's elect? It is God who justifies. Who is to condemn? Christ Jesus is the one who died—more than that, who was raised—who is at the right hand of God, who indeed is interceding for us. Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or danger, or sword? ...No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through Him who loved us.  For I am sure that neither death nor life, nor angels nor rulers, nor things present nor things to come, nor powers, nor height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord."

Romans 8:31-39