This was our first photo together, circa 2013. This was my first victory in love. I won it as I naturally surrendered my barriers to someone who told me he loves me more than I love him.
No peer or societal pressure from the worldly standard of dating. Just two feelings naturally falling for each other. The kind of love that is tightly-secure, yet free. The kind that is exclusive, but not hidden.
It amazes me when I look at this picture, and everything just feels like yesterday. A picture so different from the rest that I can literally relive the moment.
Even when I’m intently looking at this photo alone, without Jadon anywhere near me, I can feel his warmth — the kind that feels like home. It is easy to remember this because it was real then, as it is now. Love so real is truly tangible in whatever lifetime.
But you know, Jadon Herrenauw wasn’t naturally my type. I always thought he was too kind and too respectful — for my carefree self, that is. And when one is too used to being confronted with too many pretentious “love” around, you actually are not able to tell what real love is anymore. So when I met Jadon, my guard was down, knowing that he wasn’t really my type; and neither was I his type.
I always liked the typical “bad boys” and Jadon, growing up properly in church, liked girls who were prim and proper. And I was nowhere like that before I met him; I was your typical life-of-the-party. Yey!
And yet, God must have made Jadon see my potential.
Our personal and silent prayers must have brought Jadon and me together. I prayed for someone “tall, dark, and handsome”. I prayed with precision because I have always believed that Heavenly Father answers with exactness, especially according to what we truly deserve.
But there was more to it than just the physical. I prayed for someone who loves God more than he loves me. That way, I know the person will never break my heart because loving Heavenly Father also means that he will seek to obey His commandments — including taking care of my heart.
Jadon, on the other hand, prayed for someone who would support him in every way, and would do things with him, while praying to get back to the covenant path.
Who would’ve thought that Jaden and I were actually each other’s answered prayer? We were praying separately in our individual spheres but our hearts were joined by Heavenly Father according to His will. Eleven years later, this love has been blessed with kids, and a happy home.
I hope your prayer lands you the best love this lifetime could offer you, too. If you’re single, and wondering how to find the right love, here are my three simple but effective take-aways:
- Pray. Many people underestimate the power of prayer and privilege to connect to heaven, and learn wisdom. We sometimes forget that we are all children of Our Loving Heavenly Father who hears the longings of our heart. Always pray with exactness. He answers all our prayers, sometimes just not the way we want it to be, and that’s okay! His ‘no’ always means something better.
- Go to the right places. The right person for you is rarely found in bars or nightclubs, or a friend’s house drinking alcohol. Not that people who go to bars are all bad, but if you want to start right, consider seeking connections in places that align with your values and aspirations.
- Prepare to be the right person. We can pray all we want for the “right one” but if we are not actively working on becoming the best version of ourselves, we may not recognize or be ready for them when they eventually come into our lives.
Remember that Heavenly Father is never late. His plans are always just on time.
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