BeyondSeeLevel

I’m sitting here reminiscing with my Shuga about the past year of our journey. One year ago (tomorrow), I made my move to a new city to pursue life with him as his wife. After living in Dallas my entire life, having only experienced failed relationships, I was amazed at the lack of hesitancy I had in moving forward with our relationship and relocating to be with him. Everything about his efforts to pursue me, gave me every reason to say “yes”. We had our first conversation on May 28th, 2017. He came to visit me a month later. After we parted ways that evening, I called my friend Katrina and said “That’s my husband!”. I knew he was the one! Nothing like my past experiences.

I watched, waited and listen for him to contradict himself. He didn’t. I waited for his horny hound dog to surface. It didn’t. I waited for his demeanor to change after he got used to me. It didn’t. I waited, but he stayed the same. And most times, he just kept getting better. He committed to coming to see me once a month initially, but soon after made it every two weeks. He sacrificed his time and his money to make sure he saw me as often as possible.

It was foreign to most people that knew me to see Tressa in a relationship. Almost 11 years of flying solo and being a church girl moma bear is all they knew. So all of the unknowns seemed to have some doubting the validity and soundness of my relationship. Because I was confirmed by the Spirit of God by continuous prayer and submission, I was unapologetic about my relationship, knowing the intricate pieces of the puzzle that God made obvious to me that this man was a gift from Him. I knew what some were saying behind my back. And I have to admit, I was a little disappointed and hurt by a few that I felt would celebrate my relationship but didn’t. They fell back from me and treated me as if I had done something wrong. I fully embraced the fact that people are sometimes so programed to wordly agendas and worldly confirmations, that when the Holy Spirit orchestrates relational unions, they doubt the validity thereof because they can’t confirm that it passes the world’s check list for what makes a marriage work. But my check list was taken from the Book, not the world. 🙂 Then I realized that sometimes, people’s access to you is more important to them than your growth and happiness. Therefore, I made a decision very early not to ask people for permission to receive what God was, so boldly giving me.

James brought a level a security and consistency into my life that I had never received from any man in my life — not from a father, a brother, a friend or from a previous relationship. And now, a year in a new city and a year and a half married to the man of my prayers (not my dreams), I realize the power of when the rib fits right.

It’s like trying to force the wrong puzzle piece to fit in a place it doesn’t belong. It may look like it belongs but as the puzzle continues to come together, you realize that it didn’t fit and it throws off the entire picture.

Just like Adam’s rib. A specific woman was made from the rib of a specific man. A man can try his hardest to make a woman fit into his life that’s not supposed to be in his life. Likewise, a woman can try her hardest to fit into a man’s life she’s not supposed to fit in. And when it doesn’t fit, it hurts. And sometimes, you don’t realize that the puzzle piece you were trying to fit was never part of your puzzle until you’ve spent too much time hurting trying to create a picture with pieces that don’t even belong together.

But James, my Shuga Boo..

When the rib fits right….

Proverbs 10:23
The blessing of the LORD makes a person rich, and he adds no sorrow with it.

*Tressa Jo