We met online. I had been divorced for several years, and was not looking for someone really but thought this might be a different way to meet guys, and not necessarily have to commit to meeting them right away. I was in no rush. I signed up, and I talked to a lot of guys - both in my home country and overseas. Some were creeps. There were a couple of guys I was talking to consistently, just sounding them out. One was in Alaska, another was in London. Then I got an email from this other guy, who was a single dad, American, posted in England with the military. It was his third time trying to send me an email, he said, and he hoped it went through this time. Obviously it did! It kind of intrigued me that he had kept on trying. He was actually outside the age range I had posted, because he was 7 years younger than me, and I had set the age range at my age and older. So I had qualms there (I was 36, he was 29). But I had no qualms that he had children, in fact I was intrigued that he was a single dad, because I had no children.
We talked via email pretty constantly. Then we graduated to talking on the phone, which was weird the first time, but then it got easier, and we were talking every night. We sent each other photos, and then he asked me on a date. Although we only lived 200 miles apart, he had the responsibility for his kids of course, and could hardly bring them on a first date! Fortunately, he had a couple that were very good friends who agreed to babysit the boys, and he came to meet me on a Friday night. We met for the first time in a train station - not very romantic, but when I went back home this Christmas, I walked through that train station and knew exactly the spot where we kissed for the first time.
A few days later, my h and I were out in town and we walked past and we both smiled and remembered that first meeting.
We were not either of us living as Christians at the time, although we had been brought up as such, and we did spend that weekend together, by design. When we got to the train station so that he could leave that Sunday, he told me he had left something for me under my pillow. I was half excited, half dreading it was "dear Jane" letter, lol. He had left me a box with a diamond heart on a chain and a note saying "please take care of my heart."
The next weekend, very unexpectedly, he travelled up with the boys to see me, and that was wonderful. Then I went down to stay with them, and after that I would go every weekend that I could to be with them. I hated leaving and would cry (very privately) on the train every Sunday.
Like I said, not living as Christians, so although I was asking God "please, please let me have him", I had no thought of whether He would be pleased by the marriage.
In retrospect, I do believe that God brought us together. He gave a mother to motherless children, and children to a childless mother. We were also blessed with a third child. My stepkids were so young, they latched on to me very quickly, and started calling me "mom" by their own desire, and they still do. I call them my sons and don't differentiate between bio and step kids. My family also were absolutely welcoming and loved those boys heart and soul. One of the best things is the absolute acceptance on both sides. You hear horror stories about step families, but that has not been my experience. Little story from our most recent trip "home" - we were sitting in the airport waiting for our flight back to the US, and my middle son, who wants to be a doctor said something about how he could come and do a residency in England "because I have family here." Nobody else even batted an eyelid, but I got a huge lump in my throat, because they ARE his family. Blood doesn't matter. It's love that matters.
So, that is my meeting story.
