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Erica Galindo
Celebrating Food, Faith and Family
Last edited on: February 21, 2012.

“Knowing that I get to spend the rest of my life with you makes the last twenty four years of frustration, confusion and loneliness all worth it,” John declared, as he toasted his beautiful new bride. January 21st, 2012 marked the beginning of Kelly and John’s journey as husband and wife, but their story started long before this sparkling, winter day.

The two met online via a date site. Something drew John to Kelly from their first emails. His first message to her was “Peanut Butter and Banana Sandwiches” – a title that captures John’s wit and borderline nerdy sense of humor. “I don’t think I have ever enjoyed writing more than I did on those first emails. We would go back and forth with novel-length emails covering everything from our baseball allegiances to family life. Everything seemed to click and we were having the greatest time getting to know each other.”

John and Kelly’s first date was to the zoo on a sweltering summer day in 2010. John’s affection for Kelly deepened while Kelly envisioned strictly friendship. “We put a stop on dating because I was feeling more of a friend vibe, so we spent a lot of time together as friends. As we got to know each other, I was dating other people,” Kelly explained.

Upon first hearing Kelly’s decision to remain strictly friends, John was devastated. “When she called and told me her feelings hadn’t developed to be more than friends, I was instantly destroyed.  I was ready to give up on the positive changes I was making in my life to revert back to my old habits – [ready to go back to] the easy way, calling girls I had used as a distraction even though I knew they were wrong for me.

One night, I was really convicted by the Lord. I heard Him ask me, ‘One thing doesn’t go as you planned and you’re ready to give up and go back to the way you were previously living your life? You’d revert back to those old things that left you so lonely?’ I felt horrible because I basically was telling God that when things got hard or were different than I imagined then I would just walk away and concede my defeat.

From that day forward I recommitted to giving my relationships completely to God. This is something I struggled with for the next six months. [During this time], my friendship with Kelly grew but never progressed to a point where there was hope of being together. I had a hard time trusting God and knowing what I was supposed to do with her. One day my mom asked why I was so hung up on her. She asked if when I closed my eyes I could see [Kelly] in my future. I did. She was still there. My mom told me to be diligent and deliberate in my actions and to give the situations to God. She felt there was a reason I met her and that there was a purpose. I knew Kelly was in my life for a reason, and I began to accept whatever capacity God wanted that to be.”

In this season, God’s hand was especially evident in Kelly and John’s lives. At the start of their friendship, Kelly had little interest in pursuing a relationship with God. It was feelings of loneliness that led her back to church: “After a fight with a good friend one night, I was so upset that I didn’t want to be alone. I joined a friend for the day and she was volunteering at two church services one Saturday night. I went to both, was so convicted and asked John if I could join him at his church that Sunday morning. That was in October 2010, and I have not missed many services since then. I did a lot of soul searching and asked for God’s help. He showed up in so many ways. What a blessing.” God began to do a work in her.

Meanwhile, John continued to surrender his desires for a deeper relationship with Kelly to God. In a church-wide fast a few months later, John received clarity and peace from the Lord, despite experiencing many trials. He lost his beloved grandfather, experienced a house flood and was witness to other family members’ losses. Despite feeling hopelessness and despair John, God’s faithfulness remained. “Looking back, it all makes sense, all four years of being alone…and especially the last year of hurt. The changes that Kelly and I both went through in that year are what prepared us for being together. God had His plan and I just had to submit to it and His divine timing. SO much was frustrating and seemed senseless at the time, but it was all SO WORTH IT.”

It seemed that God had prepared John’s and Kelly’s heart. Then He opened up the door for a sweet and meaningful relationship to form. Kelly explains her growing affection for John as “one of those light bulb moments where something just clicked.” She wasted no time in filling John in. That Sunday at church, she pulled him aside and explained what had happened: “I struggled to find the words to speak, which is rare for me, and it was probably a full five minutes before I was able to say anything. I didn’t know how to start. But I basically told him that something had happened, clicked in my head and my heart, and I knew I loved him. I gave him all the reasons why I cared and told him that I wanted it to be “us.” I said that I didn’t want to date him, because we had already done that. We had had about a year of getting to know each other and solidifying that base friendship, and I didn’t want to backtrack. I said that I wanted to be together, [him] and me, and that’s it. I think he was speechless.”

John’s concurred. “At first [when Kelly told me how she felt] it was just shock…to think that it went from nothing to everything just left me dazed. I don’t even think I was able to process it initially.”

After months of getting to know each other and waiting for their hearts to align, there was now nothing holding them back. After three months of officially dating, John proposed in late July – “This was the biggest day I had ever planned to that point.” After 20 hours of meticulous planning, John invited Kelly into a wooded area behind his parents’ house, where he had strung wire, strings and shiny objects from tree branches with hundreds of photos of the two of them, written reasons why he loved her, and empty pictures frames to represent “[their] memories yet to be had”.

Kelly explained that the scene “was such a breath-taking sight. The sun was streaming through the branches and John had changed into nice pants, a vest and a tie. He looked so cute and handsome! It was such a wonderful thing.”
John’s proposal and Kelly’s ecstatic “yes!” are even sweeter when considering the lonely journey that brought them to the committal of the rest of their lives to each other. God’s faithfulness is evident in their relationship. In His timing, He drew Kelly and John deeper into relationship with Himself, granted time for their friendship to solidify and opened Kelly’s heart to the possibility of a more meaningful relationship with John. January 21, 2012 marked the day when John and Kelly became husband and wife. It was a brilliant day that resounded with not only their deepened love for one another – but with God’s love and faithfulness too.

10 Responses

  1. Josie

    This story means so much too me. More than you could ever now. I am in a similar situation. Waiting for HIS heart to align with mine! This is a beautiful story…what is most funny and I believe not coincidental is that years a go I made him a peanut butter and banana sandwich! Unfortunately he is allergic to bananas! LOL!! THANKS!

    Reply
  2. Katie

    I have been struggling to feel peaceful about marrying the right person in God’s timing. I googled ‘amazing christian love stories’ and found this. It encouraged me so much.. I see a few similarities in my current situation. Thank you for sharing your story. God used it to bring me peace and hope tonight. I know one day I will have the same happiness that you two have, and it will have all been worth the waiting and struggling. God bless you guys! :)

    Reply
    • mm
      Erica Galindo

      Hi Katie,

      I am so deeply happy to hear how our story gave you peace and hope! I waited a long time for a godly husband. My son and I would pray for that every night…God honored my prayers and blessed me with the desires of my heart. His timing was perfect. God is faithful. Continue to trust and wait on the Lord. Psalm 37:4

      Bless you sweet sister. Stay strong and don’t let the enemy deceive you. God is working even when we don’t know what He is doing! God is faithful. Wait for his timing. His love for us is perfect.

      Blessings and grace, Erica

      Reply
      • Anthony Galindo

        I’m not really sure how to handle these things but it can’t be a coincidence I found this story. We have the same last name which is a raritey among Galindo’s, so ill chalk that up to a sign. Thanks for the hope!!!

        God bless, Anthony Galindo

    • Sarah Jane

      I am married for 10 years . I can’t define it as “perfect ” because no man is perfect. I did not even ask God’s consent in marrying. I never listened to God. I just follow what I want.
      I am thinking everyday what is the problem with our marriage only to find out that it was me that plan it, not God . I did not even ask Him as a father to me noe ask Him about His will. It was 10 years that I am frustrated with the marriage I have but God loves me and I felt so sorry of what happened . I ask forgiveness in everything and yes He answered me .
      Now when my marriage in trouble, when I don’tknow what to do I ask God for help . I run to Him to rescue my marriage and the family that I have and I am grateful to have Jesus in marriage relationship.

      Reply
  3. George Ewah-Uche

    I am in a very similar situation though mine is very tricky because she blanks me out far too many times and I can’t say why. I listened to God and he said I should wait. I have many times felt like calling time and probably falling back to the girls I know are wrong for me but today I decided to google love stories about Christians and I am encouraged. I hope one day I would revisit this blog to share the good news of how God made our hearts align because I know even if I end up not marrying her, I met her for a purpose that is yet to be fulfilled.

    Reply
  4. George

    Hi please I’d like you to remove my full name. Maybe only George will do

    Reply
  5. Amy

    This story gave me a much needed glimmer of hope…I wont go into details but have spent the last 2 weeks in agonizing despair wondering if God will ever bring people back together. Thank you for sharing your beautiful story…I’m going to continue to give the desires of my heart to God and let Him work out the details.

    Reply
  6. Chy

    God led me here, I must say. I was just seeing a movie titled “Pamela’s Prayer” when it came as a nudge in my spirit to check up inspiring Christian love stories online and this very site was the first I clicked.

    I’m currently going through a similar situation like yours . It truly inspired me on what to focus on which is surrendering my desires to God always and trust him to do his perfect work.

    Someday I will come back to this site to say thank you again for allowing God use you to inspire my love story in the future.

    God bless you so much.

    Reply

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