"In the summer of 2006, the “Restart Button” on my life was pressed. And, as everyone knows, when the restart button is pressed, if you haven’t saved your current progress, you have to start back at the beginning.
At that time, I had no idea what would become of my life or what God had in store for my future. Still, I hung onto the promise He made which was to “fully restore me.” At the time, I didn’t know what that restoration would look like, but I was anxious and ready to find out.
Fast forward a few months later to December 2006. Before Facebook would dominate the Social Interwebs, I was on MySpace chatting with friends looking for something to do that New Year’s Eve. I had just completed my outpatient physical therapy after having been in physical rehabilitation for seven weeks, following a coma for six and a half weeks as a result of a car accident. I was feeling pretty good but I couldn’t drive anywhere because, due to a brain injury, I was waiting to take my drivers test again. In the meantime, I was back at home living with my parents, but I was desperate to get out and do something.
On MySpace my friend Emily messaged me and said that the church she was attending, Grace Church in Wooster, was having a New Year’s Eve service and that some people were getting together afterwards. However, I couldn't drive and Wooster was about a two-hour drive from my parents house. Still, my dad, seeing how desperate I was to get out, said that if I could stay the night with my Wooster friends, Chad and Natalie Kohler, he would drive me all the way down there. So, I messaged my friends and they said I could stay with them that night. So my dad drove me all the way to Wooster that evening. At the end of the church service, Chad’s wife, Natalie, was having a get together at her parents house and we left for that.
At Natalie’s parents house, the gathering was mostly made up of “couples.” I didn’t see any single ladies for a little while. Then, a beautiful single brunette walked into the room and I could not take my eyes off her. I walked my feeble self up to Caroline and started making small talk. The small talk turned into medium talk. And, before I knew it, we literally talked all night long and we never left each other’s side.
Soon midnight would bring 2007. And, though I felt like I had known her my whole life, we didn't kiss at midnight. I think we maybe hugged. Nevertheless, 2007 was here and on October 6, 2007, I would marry my beautiful Caroline.
The next ten years would be filled with hills and valleys, stressful times and peaceful times, heartbreaking losses but wonderful, heartwarming, gains. And, through it all, we have remained by each other’s side. Just like that New Year's Eve in 2006. And today, looking at all that God has given me, I see now how He has restored me.
So for my Caroline, my best friend, my love, my wife, I look forward to what God has for us. I look forward to raising our two beautiful children and spending the rest of our lives together. Right here. Right by each other’s side where we started.
Happy 10 Year Anniversary Caroline!"
Originally published to Facebook 10/5/17
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