the prayer

A couple of years ago (you know, pretty much everything I talk about happened a "couple of years ago", if you know our family's story, those years were incredible growing experiences!!) I came across an article that changed my life... it was an incredible love story that started at birth. A couple had a little girl, and when she was born, they decided to start praying for her future husband, even though it would be about 23 years before they would ever meet him. When their daughter was old enough to understand, they told her that somewhere in the world there was someone that would someday be her husband, and they encouraged her to start praying for him, which she did. The rest of the story is so touching and amazing, and sometime I'll have to post it for 'ya!

When I read that story, it hit a chord with me. I realized that somewhere out in the world there was someone who I had never met. But someday our paths would cross, and meanwhile, life would happen, and I wanted the opportunity to pray for this amazing man. Since I was about 15, I started praying for my future husband every day. I think I've only ever missed once or twice, and I have learned so much through praying for someone I don't know. Sometimes I felt like I should pray for him to have the needed strength to endure hardship. Sometimes I prayed that he would have the additional help he needed in all the things he was doing. Sometimes I prayed that he would be able to grow up to be the godly man that he needed to be to fulfill his mission in life. Sometimes I would pray that he would be blessed with extra protection. And sometimes I simply prayed that he would know that somewhere in the world there was a young girl that was praying for him. But the thing that mattered most was that I PRAYED, I prayed hard, and I prayed everyday.

A couple of days ago my sister came across this very touching story, and it touched me so much, especially since I've been doing the very same thing, and I hope for the same happy ending.

"I was recently at a church meeting where a leader spoke to the young women of our Stake. She told us that when she was little she dreamed constantly of the man she would marry. She played little games like, "Whoever wears a red shirt tomorrow is the one", or "If the car makes it through the next stop light, I already know him." Then one day her young women's leader suggested that instead of dreaming of who he would be, the girls should pray for their future husbands. She said that after that, she never missed a night. She would pray that he would be able to live up to the standards she wanted. She prayed that he would be strong enough to make good decisions in his life. Because she was praying for his strength, it made her want to be stronger as well. When she met that man she had been praying for, they fell for each other right away. On the third date, after all of the "get to know you" had been established and things got a little deeper, he told her that every time he had been faced with temptation in his life, he felt he had been blessed with a little extra help in making the right decisions. She couldn't believe it."

I have absolutely no idea who I am going to marry, only God knows that... but what I DO know is that through praying for someone I've never met, I have developed a deep love for whoever that someone is, far more than I ever thought was possible to have for someone you've never met. I would encourage all of you single girls out there to pray for your future husbands, wouldn't that be so neat to have your future husband tell you that he often felt a little extra help... and that help was you?