Just a year earlier, I had paid off the remaining balance on my student loan (becoming debt-free*), purchased my first home, was generally content at my full-time job and meeting new friends at a new church home. (*except for the house I just purchased).
I really had all I needed. And, most importantly, I had the One I needed – saved by the grace of God (Yea, I know this sounds cheesy to the non-Christian out there).
All in all, life was going pretty good.
Except, I had been feeling like something was missing. Or, a better way to say it: I wanted a partner.
My first foray into online dating
In 2002, I heard about a newer online match-making service that some folks were raving about. I reluctantly submitted my profile, got matched up with a neat gal and dated for 3 months til she brought me down to earth with the shattering news: “Aaron, I don’t think you’re the one God wants me to marry.”
I can still hear and feel those words to this day.
“How could anyone not want to spend the rest of their life with me?” I thought to myself.
While I was deeply hurt, it was a good awakening for me and allowed God to work through some much-needed issues in my life at the time and set me on a different course for my life (which included – among other things – getting out of debt).
Years later, I did get back into traditional dating, met another swell gal and we almost married. Yet, the timing was not right and we eventually went our separate ways.
My second adventure in online dating
So in 2009, I was ready to try my hand at online match-making again. By this time, I had known a few friends who met their spouses online and knew they were well-matched and the marriages were working out. I plucked down my $50 to setup a new profile and began my 2nd online dating adventure.
I committed to giving online dating one more month. During that time, I figured I would meet the person I was to marry and settle down.
After two unsuccessful dates (in which one of the matches was more engaged with the child in the booth behind us than myself), I had one more week to go on my membership. It was now or never (or so I thought).
In that last week, I was matched with a lovely lady that I sped through the get-to-know-ya process with. Within a week, we were talking and out on our first date. I soon found out we were in the same junior high together (same page of the yearbook and band class), enjoyed our meat cooked “hockey puck” style and loved Jesus.
Our times together were easy and not “forced” and I got the sense we were put together by divine providence.
Eight months later, I proposed to her and were married within 25 days in a small, family and friends gathering of about 20 people. We didn’t go deep-into-debt from the wedding and the honeymoon was paid for by the gracious gifts received from our guests.
Now, almost 7 years later, I thank God He matched us together and she has put up with me all this time. While, we’ve definitely had our struggles – it has been a sweet bond.
It still remains, the best $50 I have ever spent.
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