JoAl's 1st Year and 1st Month

JoAl's 1st Year and 1st Month is today. I had only seen Al for two days inbetween our overseas holidays in the past month. He brought this necklace back home for me. =) If we were to write about everything that has happened in the past year or so, it would fill up a whole journal (you just have to see mine to know =P). In order for people to understand who someone is, they need to know one's past. Since only a few of you have heard the whole story of how we got together and what we've been through and seeing that every relationship is different and goes through a different journey with a different set of challenges, here's a summary of what God has been doing in our lives over the past year and a bit.

Getting into a relationship affects you in every way- emotionally, spiritually and physically. A few months before I told Al, "Yes, I want to do life with you," the Holy Spirit told me that a wrong relationship will lead to the downfall of my leadership and will be a stumbling block in my life. Hence, that was the story of why Al had to wait six weeks for my answer because I was making sure that it was right from all perspectives. First of all, I wanted to make sure that I knew what I was getting myself into/expectations that would be placed on me. I spent time praying, reading up on Catholicism and getting godly counsel as this decision will not only affect me but those around me, especially those who I am looking after. Secondly, I wanted to know that God was completely supportive of this, otherwise it will not work and just have drastic consequences. Thirdly, I wanted to get my parents' approval and support. Finally, I wanted to know that Al and I had the support that we required as well as people to learn from hence why we chose to have a couple mentor as well as to surround ourselves with other couples to share and do life with.

If there is such thing as a honeymoon period for a relationship, I don't think that Al and I really had one. =P Right after we became official, we were already fighting spiritual warfare when I was away in Malaysia. Then when I came back home, we were tackling the hard theology issues that we had started talking about in the months leading to our official status and getting ridiculed for the decisions that we were making in our relationship in terms of things such as boundaries and mentoring.

Almost every month, I'd ask God for a sign to make sure that we're on track and He would give it to me every time without fail- whether it's a Bible scripture, to an event that happened around our anniversary date, to a devotional that I've read, to Al having similar thoughts as me, to a song that I've heard. I even had people telling me that a certain event/happening must be such a God moment even though I didn't think of it at the time. This sure was evidence that God was actively working in our lives.

Yes, we have our differences but at the same time I can see God aligning our thoughts, goals and attitudes as we continue to look to Him individually and as a couple in order to be able to continue on with a relationship that glorifies Him. If we were to be honest, our relationship would not have lasted this long if it wasn't for Him as He was and continues to still be the only certain answer for us especially in the hard times. Although there were times where I felt like giving up because I or Al did not have an answer and things got a bit much, deep down, I still held to the belief that there was a bigger God who already has everything all planned out and we just have to follow His leading through faith steps. 


I encourage those of you who are already in a relationship/going to be in one in the future to continue to focus on God and not on  the challenges around you. Trying to change someone to be your ideal match or trying to make things work in our own human knowledge and strength is just going to make things very messy.