Adam.

I couldn't stand him. Could. not. 

Truth be known, he couldn't really stand me either in the beginning. I thought he was arrogant and over confident. He thought I was stuck up and a stick in the mud. 

To make things worse (or more humorous now), we actually told people we didn't really like the other. 

But today... I'm beyond grateful that that's not the end of our story.

After a few months, in the midst of working together and having a few mutual friends, little by little Adam Crosby grew on me. At first it was a tolerance for someone who seemed very different than me. Next, it grew to a respectful camaraderie as co-workers. That's how it stay on my end for a while. I eventually had to admit that the more I got to know him, the more he seemed likable. (But definitely not date-able!)

I can remember that during that time, I shared my thoughts with a godly, much wiser woman in my life. I told her that Adam just wasn't what I was looking for. To me, he didn't seem like a good fit at all, and all the things I wanted in someone (you know, someone not arrogant or over confident). 

Then this dear friend, who is cautious when putting her two-cents in on my life, said to me very sweetly and kindly, "All I'll say is this, you might actually need someone a little confident in your life so he's not a one of these..." as she referred to the rug under her feet.

Ouch.

 I can literally replay in my mind that conversation we had in her kitchen. I can remember how her words stuck to me. They still do. Because while the wall around my heart was 10 feet tall and five feet deep, it was at the moment that the wall cracked the tiniest sliver and I said, "Really, Lord?". 

Shortly after, I finally laid it before God and said,"Ok. I'll be open to the possibility of dating Adam." (do you hear my skepticism?) It was then that I began to see past his, as he would call it, "hard candy shell". I saw his go-getter attitude and drive to do things right and with excellence. His ability to confidently say he would do something and follow it through to the nth degree. His passion to see students in our church grow into godly men and women. Add on the fact the he started making me laugh (it really doesn't take much, but hey, it was new coming from him).

To try and wrap up this story, after four months of saying "Nope" "No" "NO!" to folks around me, myself, and even God, I realized that I actually liked and wanted to spend time with him. So I sat before the Lord, and got REAL honest with Him and myself.

"I'm scared."
"Trust Me."
"God I'm not even sure I like him..."
"Trust Me."
"But what about..."
"Trust Me. "
"But what if..."
"Trust ME. Not him. Not the situation. Me. Take a step, and trust Me."

So after an awkward middle school moment on my end of, "hey..I like you...back", Adam took me out of my 25th birthday. Our first date.

(This is a first of a couple of posts. Stay tuned for the engagement story!)