[Grace and Glory turns four years old this month – it also happens to be the month Anthony and I celebrate our 20th wedding anniversary!!

For the next few weeks, we will revisit some posts that made their debut in one of my two devotional books. You might notice that Anthony is a central theme in all of them.

The following post was published in He’s an Everyday God.

If you haven’t had the chance to get a copy for yourself, just use the link to hop over to Amazon and order yours today!]

It’s one of my favorite stories to tell. How Anthony and I met.

Back when internet dating sites were just becoming a thing, I shared a home with another single mom (this convenient arrangement helped us pay the bills and provided in-home childcare for both of us).

Desperate to be married, my housemate quickly jumped on several of these new dating sites and posted complete profiles that included the best pictures of herself she could find and hobbies that sounded fun and interesting. She also detailed some specifics of what she was looking for in a future mate.

She repeatedly encouraged, i.e., hounded me to jump online and try it, too.

No thanks. Not for me. I was very content in my singleness.

Months went by and she hadn’t relented. So, when one of these sites offered a two-week free trial membership (because there was no way I was going to pay for this foolishness), I acquiesced.

I intentionally posted a picture that would scare away mice (not attract men) and offered as little in the “description” category as possible.

The profile went “live” and the countdown began.

Four days in, Anthony sent me a message. The rest, as they say, is history.

Obviously, there is a lot more to this story; however, the element that strikes me every time I share it is how God will show up when we least expect it.

I wasn’t looking for a husband. Truth be told, I didn’t even want to be married. I did everything in my power when I posted that profile to ensure no one would be remotely interested in me.

But God showed up.

In a way I least expected. At a time I least expected.

It was all God, no Kristen.

“…the way I work surpasses the way you work, and the way I think is beyond what you think.” (Isaiah 55:9 MSG)

Not only did God show up when I least expected it, but He clearly knew what I needed even more than I did.

I cannot imagine my life without Anthony now and wouldn’t have ever dreamed of learning, growing, and being sanctified these past couple decades together in ways that God clearly knew I would cherish and need.

Until next time, Grace and Glory!

(There will be no Grace and Glory post next week as I purposefully unplug to celebrate 20 years with Anthony. Stay tuned for the next post on September 20!)