Our story.

   
I'd just like to brag on this man for a second & the beautiful story God is entrusting us with.
  pda & social media isn't my thing when it comes to my relationship. It's our story. Mine & his.

  Some days though, I feel I need to branch out & share it. Give people a glimpse into what is waiting for you when you allow God the pen to your story. When you trust HIM fully, beautiful things happen.

   I met Trevor 3 years ago in a Bible Study my sister & I hosted in our apartment in Murfreesboro. I was instantly smitten. Everyone close to me knew how I felt about him....except him. I made sure of that.
 
  In my family the book "Hero" (by: Fred Stoeker) is a very well known book. Any man that wants to date a Kessie daughter has to read that first. It's also a book all us of girls have read. It describes my heart so well. I've known since reading that book that I was holding out for a man worthy of the title "Hero". I strived to have a heart like Rose. To have my heart so hidden in Jesus that he'd have to deeply pursue Jesus to get to me. Every week that passed for Bible Study & Trevor would walk through my door, I would repeat over & over in my head: "have a heart like Rose. Don't let him have any inkling that you like him." --for the entire time he attended Bible Study I did just that. I was a friend to him. Nothing more. In that same year I watched him get into a relationship & then move out of my state.

  I saw that as God closing that door to there ever being an "us". I was ok with that, because I trusted God with my story. Over the course of the last two years, he's crossed my mind every so often. Never did I reach out because I promised God, myself & my family that I would be pursued in my next relationship. I would allow him to lead us.

  {On February 14th 2017 God said to me in a dream: "this is your year, Hannah Grace."}

  April 11th 2017 I received a message from him. --instantly all those feelings came back. I continued to hide my heart & gave him over to God. I have prayed time & time again over him, me & us.
 
On May 21st we took 39 days of silence- we both heard confirmation from God that it was needed. He was asking for some alone time with us. He was asking us to Fully trust Him with each other. It would require us to rely on God during those hard days, instead of reaching out & seeking comfort in one another.
 
I said goodbye to Trevor once again on May 21st. It was one of the hardest, yet easiest things I've ever done, because we were both in agreement that this is what God wanted. We trusted Him enough to put Him above our desire for one another.
   
June 29th 2017, Trevor lead us in the direction of a relationship & with that came Facetime calls until 3am most mornings.
{He has pursued me, daily. He has lead us, daily.}

  July 15th he headed for Tennessee soil. He met with my dad first thing to get his permission to date me & I quote from him; "because I didn't want to see you for the first time in 2.5 years until I had your dad's permission." This man is everything I've ever prayed for.

October 1st 2017: He moved his belongings to Tennessee soil again. Our twelve hour drive to one another turned into twenty minutes across town. He moved for us.  

My family doesn't do the "typical relationship", I get it. We get judged & made fun of for our boundaries & standards. I've been told countless times that my standards are too high. Guess what? Trevor has met every single one of those standards & surpassed them too.

  My parents have always taught us to date with a purpose. Set your boundaries for your future relationship long before you ever get in one, because once you're in one, all those emotions are running wild & it's extremely difficult to think straight on what boundaries you truly want.

  I made my list long before Trevor. My boundaries weren't normal. I raised the bar high for my next relationship because I knew I wanted to make it to the altar completely pure. --during our 39 days the one thing that weighed heaviest on my heart was: "no kissing until my wedding day". I knew it was far fetched, but I stood firm in it. I prayed to God that it would be Trevor's too. I never allowed him to know that was my desire. I knew I needed to hear it from his mouth first, because then I would know it wasn't just his desire because it was my desire. July 8th he spoke those words to me. I knew then God was writing something spectacular.

  On December 23rd 2017 Trevor purposed in the most romantic way. Lakeshore Park. Surrounded by family, as rose petals lined the grass. I couldn't say yes fast enough when he dropped to one knee. Some may say our proposal came fast, but as my mom always said to us growing up, 'when you know, you know.' We set out in the very beginning to break generational curses. To break the 'norm' & not allow Satan any loop holes into our children's future. Every single time we have set another boundary in place, we've had our children in mind. The choices we make now, effect our children & our grand babies & their futures.

This man is the definition of a Hero. Someone I'm proud to call mine. Someone I'm so grateful I prayed over & held out for. Our journey hasn't been easy. We've faced our challenges, but one thing we've always remained doing is, doing it together. Taking everything before God, together. We are a unit.

Trevor & I have strong boundaries. - - We're never alone in a home together, we have never kissed on the lips & won't until Our Wedding Day. We've asked our family to hold us accountable to our boundaries. We've made Christ the center of our relationship & make prayer a part of our daily life.

Here we are: 40 days away from saying "I do".  40 days until I hold the title of Mrs. Broaddus for the rest of our days & we can begin Our forever.

  Girls: hold out. Don't conform to the world's standards. Or the lack of boundaries this world has to offer. Stand firm in holding out for a hero. He's coming.

I love you, Trev.

His Hands.

  Today as I held onto his hand & yours while we prayed, I saw him cry. Whether it was because he is sending off two of his daughters to Italy for two weeks or because he was holding onto his youngest daughter’s hand, as she held the hand of the man she’ll someday call her husband.

  {I found myself in the middle of two very strong hands.}
 
My father’s hands: the hands that held me when I let out my first cry when he delivered me. Hands that carried the tininess of his children to bed every night. The hands that have held the hand of his bride for 34 years. They are the hands that work tirelessly, day in & day out to be able to provide for his family. These are the hands I’ve held onto for 23 years.
 
  Then there’s his hands: the hands that have gently held mine since July twentieth. When I catch a glimpse of his hands I see the strength in them. Those same hands will someday place a ring on my left hand, never to be taken off. They are the hands that become black & dirty because of car repairs & manly work, yet they are gentle enough to someday carry me over the threshold of our first home together. The hands that will someday hold our children for the first time, right after they’re welcomed into this world.
 
  Today I stood between the two most important men in my life. I held onto both of their hands for as long as I could & as I did I felt the urge to comfort my father, yet cling to my future groom as well.
 
  Here I am, twenty-three years old & I know his face. I know that the dimples in his cheeks appear when I walk into his view. I know his laugh & how it gets louder when he makes me laugh. I know that he prefers silence & cuddles in the car when we drive. I know the name of the man that will someday hold the title of my husband.
 
  It’s no longer hidden or only heard in dreams. He’s my reality. He’s my person & best friend.
 
{He’s the man of my prayers.}
 
Hannah grace.