In November of 2009, I was going through an inner healing program called Pure Heart. I'd been dealing with some "junk" in my heart, forgiving individuals and receiving more of God's healing. During a large-group ministry session, my friend Donna was praying for me quietly when she said, "I've never heard the Lord say this about someone before, but God says, "Arden, you are a knock-out! You're a KNOCK-OUT!" He just keeps saying that about you!" I laughed, having battled in my singleness with self-image issues and not really feeling much like a knock-out...cuz if I was really a knock-out, then why wasn't I married? Something in God's words to me through Donna, though, broke into my heart and brought tremendous healing to those wounded places.
In early December of 2009, I got facebook friended by some guy named Paul Czaszewicz....and I wrote back to him: "Remind me how I know you?" The instant I hit "send", I remembered: CHAZ! (That's what we all called Paul in college!) So, it turns out he is in Kansas City, he is single, he loves the Lord, and, and, and.....then we meet! There was pretty much instant attraction on both of our parts (we now know) but we both stayed pretty low-key, til February of 2010 when we decided to begin dating.
As with many couples, we faced some hurdles and chose to break up...and during that time, which was spring time, I began doing some landscaping in front of my house. A good friend suggested I get day lilies and these roses that are super easy and beautiful. She said, "They're called KNOCK-OUT Roses." At the moment, I didn't make the connection, but once they were planted and I was watering them one day, God reminded me: "Remember Donna's word for you? I want you to remember EVERY DAY when you come home what I think of you!" I nearly started crying as I watered my knock-outs and chuckled at the same time at God's personalness in speaking to His daughter!
Now, fast-forward...it's October 2010, and Paul and I have re-established our friendship and are "dating". We decided we need to have a "fish or cut bait" discussion, so he came to my house one afternoon to have the serious DTR talk. (That's define the relationship for those who don't know!) As we talked, I looked at this amazing man and asked, "Paul, I just don't get it, you are an incredible man of God...why haven't you gotten married before now?" To which Paul replied:
"I told the Lord years ago that He would have to give me a knock-out."
My eyes widened and my jaw dropped.
"What did you just say?" I asked.
"I told the Lord He would have to give me a knock-out!"
"Did I tell you about Donna's word for me nearly a year ago?"
"Um, I don't think so, but if you did, I don't remember it. I was just asking the Lord in the car ride down here today to give me His words to say to you today."
Some say there is something significant in the number 3...hee hee hee.
In all of this, the Lord has worked tremendous healing...I was told by some boys when I was a little girl that I was ugly and I would never get married. God, in His amazing grace and goodness, healed those deep wounds in me, calls me a knock-out, reminds me every day, and has given me a fiance, who will be my husband in just 6 days, who calls me a knock-out!
Let the readers of this blog hear: take heed to the love that the Father is pouring out on you through His people!
2 comments:
Terrific post and a beautiful story. Congratulations, I am so happy for you Arden! PS. Don't forget to change your blog profile next week!! :)
Arden, this was such a TOUCHING post. Thank you so much for sharing it!! I am so blessed how God began that part of your healing just before you and Paul were connected again and how he reminded you of the truth daily and then so confirmed it by Paul. It is a knock-out story, too and I can see the next book in it!! Also proves God's will for you both despite the rough patch in the middle of the courtship!! This will be a great book, Arden :-) Lots of Love!!!!
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