How I Met Your Father

"Kid's, I'm gonna tell you an incredible story.  The story of how I met your mother..."

If there is anything that my addiction to TV show How I Met Your Mother has taught me is that when I have teenage kids and I sit down to tell them how I met their father, they will sit for at least six years.  Ha, yeah right.

"Man, when I have kids and I tell them how I met their mother.  I'm gonna tell them everything, the whole damn story..."

If you have never seen the show, it follows Ted Mosby an architect in NYC and his quest for a wife, his dream girl.  BUT the entire show is done in flashbacks, as if he was telling his kids how he met their mother.

On one particular rainy day here in Katowice I was walking to the bus, protected from the downpour with my yellow umbrella.  I got to thinking, Ted and I have a lot in common.  We have both have "career" dreams, but life has molded them into something even better than we could imagine.  And really, we are both looking forward to the day when we meet our dream guy/gal.

But I realized I am living my own "How I Met Your Father" story, right now.  I am at a point where I can look back on the last few years of my life and see how every decision I have made has dictated which decision I made next.  Just like Ted.

"But you see kids, I could have gone to Schlegal's Bagels as usual, gone home, gotten to work, and you kids might never have been born..."

It makes me so completely grateful for every little thing; the joyous and broken.  They all lead somewhere new, closer to a dream.  I see how God's providence in bringing romance into my life in college led me to making a better decision about serving in ministry.  How the end of that relationship led to my push to put big change into my life, pursuing a vision of using dance in youth ministry.  I see how depression started to trickle back in and it led me to allowing a new friendship to bloom.  And that friendship ultimately gave me to courage to act on the vision and just go for it.   None of those things were changes I asked for or wanted at that time in my life.  They just sort of happened.  And I am better because of it.

"Kids, I've been telling you the story of how I met your mother.  And though there are many things to learn from this story, this may be the biggest.  The great moments of your life won't necessarily be the things you do.  They'll also be the things that happen to you.  Now I'm not saying you can't take action to affect the outcome of your life.  You have to take action, and you will.  But never forget that on any day you could step out the front door and your whole life can change forever."

I guess this is just coming from a place in my heart that is full of hope.  I am starting to see God's divine purpose in why I am single in this phase of life and am totally loving it...well most days.  *wink*  I have spent a lot of time questioning God on why my life had to be this way, and He never answered.  Hm.  Maybe He just wanted me to wait and watch life unfold, see it for myself.  And as always, it's better this way.

Over the last few months a number of people have told me that they are going to pray for a husband for me.  I always politely say thanks, but in my heart I kinda just laugh it off.  My attitude has been, "well that's great if you think I need that, but I know I am right where God wants me, and that's not in the cards right now."  I guess I kinda felt like it was useless to pray for that.  But in the last few weeks I have been really convicted about the whole thing.  Turns out it has been a pride thing...suck.  In Barcelona God really broke me of my "Single Pride."  I have been trying to come before Jehovah-Jirah everyday asking for a ministry partner.  Its tough.  Its teaching me humility.  I am learning to be genuinely grateful when people say they will pray with me.  I am getting up the courage to ask some key people in my life to join me in prayer over this one thing.

I don't know why praying for a life partner is such a hard thing for me.  Something in my thinking got all screwed up that a husband isn't a gift from God but a distraction from what He has really called you to.  Hm.  I don't really know how that happened.

So here I am, learning humility in asking God to bring someone into my life to serve in ministry with.  Who knows what the big finale will be to my "Single Story" but I look forward to what God has in store.  In the meantime, I am gonna keep sitting on the edge of my seat to see how Ted's story ends.  And just remember to humbly ask God for my dream guy.  It's gonna be legen...wait for it...

"Kids, there's more than one story of how I met your mother.  You know the short version, the thing with your mom's yellow umbrella...But there's a bigger story.  The story of how I became who I had to become before I could meet her.  And that story begins here."

How I Met Your Mother airs on CBS Mondays 8/7c or at 2am if you live in Poland like me!

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People You Should Meet - Ben McKee

I wish Ben and I had a better story of how we met, but that doesn't seem to matter anymore.

I first met Ben last July when I was feeling lonely and about to walk into a particularly trying time at work.  I signed up for an online dating site and noticed Ben within a week.  It didn't take long for us to start talking via e-mail.

Ben and I hit it off right away.  One of those connections where I felt like we had known each other for years.  It was only a few days later before we met at one of our favorite coffee shops downtown.  Six hours later we decided to see a movie the next day.

As I got to know Ben I didn't know if he would turn into "something more,"  but I was convinced if anything he would become an amazing friend.

For the rest of the year our friendship developed very slowly.  A coffee here, a phone conversation a couple months later.  Every time we spoke I was deeply encouraged and challenged to become a better person or work on my relationship with God.  Ben was definitely in my life for a reason.

For my birthday Ben, along with our mutual friend, Eric, took me out for the evening.  They were very intent on making me feel special and loved on my birthday.  Success!  Beer sampling, Avatar and dinner.  What a awesome night.

He always made time to hear my heart and talk me through my discouragement with Poland.  My heart always felt more calm after a conversation with Ben.  One of these conversations led to him filming a video for me to use in sharing my heart for Poland.  All his idea, I just had to show up with my dance skills and a few friends.  Done and done.  Ben was a rockstar.

Making the video and all the time we spent together planning and executing it just deepened our friendship.  He has become this key part of my life that I am so grateful for.  I have never had someone be so skilled in de-stressing me when I am freaking out.  Always bringing me back to earth and gently reminding me that I am a child of God and everything will be ok.

Right now we are in the thrust of summer concert season and since we share a deep passion for many of the same bands this has been so much fun.  Free tickets to see Daughtry last month, the final Denver show for Meese and tomorrow, floor tickets to see OneRepublic.

I am having a lot of fun.  Ben simply knows how to make me laugh and feel safe and cared for all at the same time.  Who knows if it will ever turn into anything more, but for now.  I am ok with where we are at.  I would never want to compromise our friendship by trying to force a relationship.

If you ever have the chance to meet Ben, take it up.    Take a chance to pick his brain about the best beer (one of his passions) or where to find the best cold-pressed coffee in Denver.  You will learn more than you ever wanted to know!  Just stay away from the subject of recycling...just kidding.  He is from Oregon and his earth consciousness resembles that of a Boulder-ite.  Ben is great really, you should know him.