After moving to Lexington in September 2007 I spent a while working on myself. There were a lot of emotions that had to be dealt with and even changes in myself that needed to be done. We are always a work in progress but come Spring of 2008 around April I found myself starting to notice the male species in a fond way again.
The first person to catch my eye was James. I asked my sister about him since I knew they served on the staff same team at the church and she had nothing but wonderful things to say about him (from what she knew of him and what others had said). One thing that a couple of people both said that spoke highly to me was that “Jon LOVES James,” Jon is our senior pastor at church and this comment from a couple of trusted sources let me know James was one to take more than one glance at. I talked to a couple of people about him and although a crush was forming on my end, I still didn’t feel like the timing was right.
I struggled with some things through the summer of 2008 but come August I felt truly healed and ready to put my heart out there. Again, James came to my mind and I started watching him more on the weekends I would serve on vocal team or pass him in the worship center. I shared my crush with a couple of friends and my sister. James and I became friends on facebook and shared a couple very lengthy chats on there. I loved talking to him and hated when the conversation ended. He was shy and as you all know I AM NOT!! We threw around the idea of getting together for lunch or dinner some time but nothing ever came of it. I took it to mean he was NOT interested.
I laid low for a few months and then rehearsals for the Christmas program at church started. I saw him a good bit during that time and just knew that I was to be with him. I just prayed and prayed and prayed for me to wait on God’s timing. But like most of us I was so excited I couldn’t stand it. Which leads to Decmeber23, 2008.
I was at work and we had just wrapped up the Christmas program at church that weekend so I knew in the back of my mind he would be off work most likely so on Tuesday December 23rd my patience had run out! I sent him a text asking if he would be interested in having lunch. It took a little while but when I got the response stating that YES he was free and asking where I would like to go my heart stopped and I am sure I grinned from ear to ear! I couldn’t’ believe that after more than four months of chatting on facebook and crushing that we were actually going to have lunch!!!!!!! At that time I only got 30 minutes for lunch, but thankfully, due to slow service (hehe), we were able to have lunch for over an hour!! It was mostly him talking cause he was nervous but I loved it! I did notice however that he would not look me in the eye which I thought was weird (I now know it was because he was nervous!)
I think we both left lunch that day planning our future. He had to get over some fear issues seeing as it was his first relationship which is understandable but here we are about to get married in a little over 4 months and I couldn’t be more proud or more excited! I am honored that he chose me and I am so thankful that God has brought me here!
I have told James this before and I mean it with my whole heart, that I would go through every heart ache, every emotion, listen to every insult and I would cry every tear over again if it brought me right here where I am now. With him, engaged to him, sharing life with him and soon to be Mrs. Lauren Raye Rutledge!!!!!! I couldn’t be more happy! We both find our joy in the Lord first and then each other and I couldn’t be more thankful for the opportunity to love again!
