When God Writes Your Love Story.

Matt's best friend in the whole world came out to visit us this past weekend. Because of this I have been thinking a lot about Matt and my story. Why? You'll understand in a second.

This is Matt and Austin's love story... As told by me... Matt's story might look different

It all started with a good-looking red-head.

[that's where Scott comes in]

Our Junior year of High School my fastpitch coach came up to Mimi (my best friend) and I after practice one day. He knew that we were both Christian, and so he asked us "Would you guys like to go to a Christian School Prom with one of my Basketball players--he's a worship leader, 3 sport starring athlete, and student body Vice President--and his buddy?" (Matt was planning on bringing Scott as his date until Mike intervened.) Without hesitation we said yes.

A week or so later his basketball player came to one of our games to meet us and watch us play. We were playing the weakest team in the league that day, and I was sitting the bench. (Thanks a lot coach.)

While I was in the dug out, Eckhart pointed at Matt and said, "that's your date, good enough?" Then so kindly, he told me that since I was riding the bench and Mimi wasn't, I got first dibs. How kind.

After the game we went out to meet him. Well we tried, but on the way the entire softball team was also trying to work their way in to "meet him." When we finally introduced and such, we all exchanged numbers and went our seperate ways.

Matt left up the decision of who goes with who to Mimi and I. We couldn't decide, so we finally just decided to draw names out of a hat. So at 1 am, in my bedroom I got out of bed, wrote an M on one paper and a S on the other. We crumpled them up, put them in a random hat and drew names. Mimi got the M and I the S, so those were our dates.

Prom was a blast (well, after my dress and hair fiasco.) I had so much fun with Scott, and Mimi and Matt really hit it off.

For awhile after, Mimi and Matt kept talking. After a few weeks though, things died down and they decided they were better off as friends.

And that was the end-- or so I thought.

In the middle of that summer, Matt asked me to go to dinner with him. I said I was busy. So he asked if I wanted to float the river with him. I said I had to work. So he asked me to hangout at his house. I don't even remember that excuse, but there was one. After 4 or 5 times blowing him off, I decided to just go ahead and hang out with him.

We went to Panda Express. Afterwards, we went back to the house I was house sitting at the time and watched a movie in their home movie theater. We had a blast! But I was still feeling something was just not quite right.

The next morning I had to go to the Eckhart's house to babysit Gabe. Matt was also meeting there in the morning because he was working with them for the day on the house they were performing construction on.

On my way to their house, my mom called and told me that our house was burning down. Apparently I was in shock, because I just told her that I had to go cause I was in line at Starbucks. I continued on my way to the Eckharts and acted like nothing was wrong.

After they left I called Mimi and asked her to come to the house so if my mom wanted me to come home Gabe would have someone to babysit him. She came, but my mom told me there was no home to come back to, so I stayed. About half way through the day I sent out a mass text and asked for prayer for my family in our time of confusion and need.

About 5 minutes after, Mike called and asked if everything was ok. I explained what happened but told them there was no need to come back, and that I was just gonna hang out there.

That day I told Matt that I didn't think things were going to work out between us. I still wasn't over my ex and I was just confused. I didn't realize this at the time, but he was devastated.

For the next few months, my life got shaken up.

I lived in the house I was house sitting for the next 6 months while our house was being rebuilt. I got back with my ex, but shortly after we realized why we broke it off in the first place, and we ended it for good. I even went kind of crazy for a month or two and did my fair share of drinking and partying.

But then it was like God grabbed me by the shoulders, shook me, and woke me up from my bad dream.

At that point I really began to lean into God and understand who I am in His eyes. He explained to me that I am not defined by who people think I am, what I've done, or the relationships I make. He told me that I am solely defined by Him.

Around this time I had started job-shaddowing Mike as a Basketball coach for my Senior Project. Not long after Matt and I started hanging out.

For the first month, I prayed to God "Change my heart from liking him." It sounds so dumb and so cliche, but I knew that if we started dating, that I would marry him. It wasn't that I didn't want to marry him, but there were some factors that I saw could play a hard role on our relationship.

1. He was going to school in Virginia and I didn't want to go through the long distance relationship.
2. Mimi and he had sort of had a thing before and I didn't want to be that girl who went after my best friends ex.
3. I just really didn't think I was good enough for him.

God kind of just laughed at my prayers. I can just imgine Him up there thinking "Are you sure you don't want this? Do you realize what you will be missing if I change your heart from Matt. Just trust me, ok?"

So I gave in and I trusted Him. And not only did he not change my heart, but I fell for Matt hard and fast. Within two months I was madly in love with Him. And by the time he left for school, I  had day-dreams about marrying him.

I could go on for days about our story. About how God was constantly working the timing for us and about how he was working in our lives seperately so we could have a life together. I could tell you everything that happened before, during, and after this all happened.

But if I were to tell you our entire love story, it would never end.

Because we are in the middle of God's love story for us.

He's still writing every day, and I am just enjoying the ride.

love,

xo/Austin