*I’m marking the various anniversaries that brought Husband and I together three years ago in February when I first visited Geneva. Part 1. Part 2.

Why am I going to YAGs tonight? 

This is what I was thinking on Tuesday night February 10 as I walked from my hostel to a flat on Quay de Mont Blanc in the dark, shivering in the cold. I planned to go out with other friends from the hostel, but I had taken a late afternoon nap and slept for a few hours. When I woke up, I felt foggy and cranky, the way I feel after being roused from a deep sleep in the middle of the day. I knew about YAGs that evening, and I knew it was a short walk from the hostel, but I did not want to go.

I remember this night with intense clarity because everything could have been different. I could have gone out with the girls from the hostel. I could have gone back to sleep. I did not want to go to YAGs. I lay in bed, closed my eyes and again in my spirit I asked God.

What do you want me to do tonight? 

The answer in my spirit was more than clear. Go to YAGs.

I didn’t understand, but then again there were many things in the past months I had not understood and still didn’t understand. But I knew I was safe with this Voice. Rarely had things gone the way I planed when I followed what He said, I had not always received what I wanted, but I had always been safe, loved, treasured.

So I walked, and I walked with a horrible attitude because I was going but didn’t want to go. I was determined to have a bad evening and meet judgmental, unkind people. I walked into the flat and within five minute I met two ladies who would later become dear friends. I was quickly seeing that I was not going to be right about this evening even as I felt my heart opening up to the kindness that was freely available in this room. It was more than just the two friends, there was an atmosphere that said You are welcome here in the room.

We laughed and chatted while I took a look around. It was a gorgeous room, high  ceilings, unique furniture, a wall of windows facing the lake, books galore. The room was slowly filling up with people, and at some point I saw a man sitting in front of the fireplace, almost directly across from where I was sitting on the other side of the circle.

It should be fairly evident now that I make quick judgments of people, places and situations, so while it is no surprise then that I formed some quick judgments about this man, I do still wonder, out of everyone else in the room, why him?

My judgment: He looked aloof to me, tall, distant and removed.

We went around the room, when the meeting started, to introduce ourselves – name, place of origin, purpose in Geneva and the wildcard question of the evening, tell us something you like about yourself. I was trying to think of a non-serious answer for the last question, but the only thing that came to mind was going to make me sound like a floozy. You will never see these people again, I said to myself. Just say it. 

Right now, I’m really liking what the Geneva water is doing to my hair, I said.

Husband still remembers this answer. I blush on the inside because I can’t believe I really said it.

When it got around to Husband, he said, Hi I’m Frank, and I’m from Frankfurt. 

I laughed, wildly. Then I thought to myself, I didn’t think that guy could make me laugh. 

The evening went on, and we talked about Hudson Taylor and Jim Elliot, service and loving people. I shared openly from my heart. Husband didn’t say anything. At the end of the evening, we had a time of prayer, and Anna, who was in charge of the evening, asked Husband to pray the closing prayer.

When he started praying, I felt strangely connected. That guy is praying exactly what’s on my heart, I thought to myself. He must really listen to God. 

And that was it. Our paths crossed, significant impressions were made, but we were like two people who walked past each other, stopped, looked and listened.

I had no idea that one year later I would be sitting in the same room with him, but this time he would not be  a stranger on the opposite end of a room full of people. This time we sat next to each other on the couch from Pakistan, hand-in-hand, hearts full of love, and I had a brand new ring on my finger.