A Love That Changed My Life - Real Love Story

This story is from Rita of ERO Inspirations. One of the things that was confirmed for me as this month progressed was that as we're different, so are our stories. But no matter the story, love is real, love is for everybody. Age ain't nothing but a number, and neither distance nor money is a barrier to love.

Do you consider yourself hard hearted? Love will find you. Think it's too late to get that Tall, Dark and Handsome? He's right there. In this story we find that even when you have a history that makes people turn up their noses, there is forgiveness and someone for you. Enjoy!

When he asked me if what he heard from “The Scandal” was true, I denied vehemently. He was nothing more than a classmate to me, so I felt there was no point in opening up to him. He took my words, and defended me anytime people made mention of “The Scandal”.

He was a great friend. He was the “middle-man” trying to help mend my relationship broken by “The Scandal”, so we met often. He was very easy to talk to. I told him things about me (except the truth about “The Scandal”). He was not judgmental. With time I began to like him, for he is very easy to love. After a while I realized we had become very close. We had shared secrets, pains, joys, and used our strengths to help each other in our weaknesses. I had started feeling something for him but was haunted by the secret I kept from him. I decided to tell him the truth about “The Scandal”. I knew the truth could make us separate, but I could not go on with the lies and deception. For his openness and love, he deserved to know the truth.

He was far away and we communicated via phone at specific times. When I could not take the guilt of my lies anymore, I quickly seized the opportunity when he called me to break the news.
“Remember ‘The Scandal’ and those things you heard about me?” I started, “they actually happened. I am sorry I lied to you and I am sorry I have kept this a secret from you for over a year!”


The silence that followed was deafening. A minute later, he hung up on me. Surely that night was going to be a sleepless one for me. There was no way I could reach him. I did not know what he felt, what he thought, or what his decision could be. I put myself in his shoes. It was an unforgivable act. A combination of lies, deception, betrayal, destruction of ego and reputation. If I was the one, that would have ended the relationship.

When I had not heard from him the next day (because he is a consistent caller), I concluded that the friendship was over and I accepted my fate. He did not deserve someone like me, even as a friend. A day afterwards, I received an email from him. I expected to read of my faults, my mistakes, what I had done wrong and why we can never be friends again. To my astonishment, what I read was “God loves us all, we wrong HIM but He still forgives us no matter what. So who am I not to forgive? I may hate you for a minute, get angry for a second, but I will remain the man who wants to walk in GOD's image and purpose and will learn to forgive (as per to forget..hmmm dat one na shock therapy I go need sha)”

I had gone into relationships hoping to find love and acceptance – these I never found. Worse still, I had been told by many that I was not wife material – maybe at best a concubine or mistress. But what He did made me feel accepted and loved. When we met face-to-face, I said, “Tell me more about your God. Does He love me and has He also forgiven me of my sins?” (I did not have a Christian/godly background so I did not really know who God was). That began my journey of getting to know the grace and unconditional love of God. The more he taught me about God, the more I was falling in love with him and His God.

We did have some challenges with our relationship that made us stay apart for a while. It came as a surprise to me when one morning, after all our ups and downs, he challenged me to a game of scrabbles. He knew I like Scrabbles but he was not always keen on playing, hence my surprise. He was to play first but he “cheated”. He peeped into the scrabble bag and took more than 7 tiles. While I was trying to tell him he must return the tiles and pick the right way, he spelt something on the board that read “Pearl, will you marry me?” I was so shocked yet excited at the same time. I had to “cheat” as well and picked letters E and S to add to one of the Y’s in response. Nine months later, we got married.

His act of forgiveness, and accepting me for who I was despite my past, mistakes, flaws, weaknesses, secrets and heartbreaks made me a whole, different woman. It drew me to God, taught me to love myself and others, helped me let go of self-condemnation and helped me step out into the future God had in store for me. He remains a man whose love makes me love him more with each passing day.

It is my prayer for ladies waiting on God for Mr. Right, that they meet the man of their dreams, who understands that no one is perfect, and who will love them for who they truly are.


________________

And I say Amen.

Do you want to be inspired in your own relationship? Want to know more about Rita and her Mr. Right? CLICK HERE.