{Day Twenty} :: Unexpected Can Be Best (A Love Story, Part 1)

While I've learned the most from my parents, my family's expanded in the last three and a half years. And I've learned a few things from them, too. So the next couple of days are things I've learned from my husband's side of the family. And simply being married to him has taught me sometimes the most unexpected things are the best things that could ever happen to you.

*******

When people ask me when and how I met my husband, there's usually a moment of strange silence before I slowly answer that I don't know. He was just always there. 

His family was already attending the church where my dad took a job as a youth pastor when I was just six weeks old (and he's still a pastor at the same church 25 years later!). So Hubby and I were in the nursery, the crawler room and eventually Sunday school together. 

We even went to the same elementary school for a couple years, and we were in the same Kindergarten class. I vaguely remember him putting worms in my best friend's hair. 

Hubby and me in kindergarten - we're the middle two with the matching red turtlenecks in the middle row. 

But eventually my mom and dad took me out of that elementary school in favor of another one, and in middle school we moved across town into another school district. Hubby and I continue to see each other at church, but I don't really remember ever noticing him or being friends with him. He was just one of the boys that were around on Sunday mornings. 

Right before our sophomore year of high school, the city decided to re-draw it's school districts, and since Hubby lived in a neighborhood about 10 minutes from mine, he was moved to my school along with two other girls I knew well from church and my old kindergarten best friend. The five of us (we called ourselves "the girls, plus B") were in lots of AP classes together and quickly formed a study group. 

Hanging out at the lunch table with our friends

Still Hubby was just a guy a knew - and not very well at that. Other than meeting to write IDs or study for exams or the occasional movie night with all of us or a quick chat at youth group (the five became six in our junior year when one of the girls started dating another guy), we didn't really spend time together or talk much. 

But I watched him from afar, noticing how cute and funny and sweet and really, really smart he was. Now and then I would let myself think how fun it might be to go on a date with him. But he hardly paid any attention to me, so it was never a long-lived thought. 

So I was a little surprised - albeit pleasantly - when he started emailing me some at the beginning of our senior year. I was thrilled when he asked if I wanted to get something to eat one evening after hanging out with our friends. And I was swooning when he mentioned there was a total lunar eclipse happening if I wanted to see it after our dinner. 

And yet, it still seemed he wasn't interested in me more than a friend. So I steeled myself and tried not to give even a hint of my interest lest I feel the sting of rejection. When he called to check on me and tell me he missed me after I left youth group a little early because I wasn't feeling well, I almost shouted for joy. Maybe there was hope! Maybe he was interested in me after all!

I never imagined expected him to show up on my doorstep the very next day to ask me to be his girlfriend. I told him I didn't have a problem with it (what an eloquent way to say yes!), and we were dating. My senior year with him was the best school-year of my life.

Hubby and me before Senior Prom

If you had asked me during my sophomore year if I would be dating this boy two years later, I would have laughed at you, called you crazy and walked away. 

Just goes to show that sometimes the very best things that can happen to you might be the most unexpected. 

What unexpected things have turned out best for you?

**********

This is part of a 31 day series on lessons I've learned from my family. To read the other nineteen, click here.