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The Early Days

IMG_2091 With my blog titled “My Life as Robin’s Wife”, It seems appropriate to recount how we met and spent the months leading up to being married.  To God be the glory!  Great things HE has done!

Months after the LORD had brought Lisa, Robin’s, wife, home to be with HIM, Robin began praying and seeking family counsel about another companion to share life with together.

I had spent many years praying and seeking the LORD for a man to share life with.

*****

October 9th 2008, began a wonderful journey for Robin and Diane (and Joseph and Hannah).

After years of protesting “online dating”, I decided to sign up for a free trial on a Christian website just so I would be able to look at what I had been protesting all this time.  This “free trial period” was to be quick and serve the purpose of letting me look around a bit and become more familiar with the online world.  Well, this “free trial” didn’t end up being so quick.  Toward the end of the offer, I came across Robin’s profile.  Seeing what he and Joseph and Hannah had gone through, I wrote a simple, short note saying I would be praying for them.  I also made sure to say “I am not creepy and this isn’t a line…” I didn’t want him to think in any way that I was preying on him instead of praying for him.

About 15 years ago, I had a dear friend who had lost her husband to a car accident.  I was privileged to be her roommate as she grieved and as she met someone who later became her new husband.  It was beautiful how her new husband loved her and how he didn’t ask her to push her old life aside, but entered in…he even sent her flowers on the anniversary of her 1st husband’s promotion to heaven.  There was no competition.  It was beautiful.  Watching God’s faithfulness through my friend’s grieving process, taught me how to pray for Robin.  And, because my dad had passed away at an early age, I also had a heart to pray for Joseph and Hannah.  God used this simple note of encouragement to a stranger to bring about a great mystery.

Robin replied to this note with a desire to get to know me better.  I was quite surprised and a little nervous.  My response was… “What did the Lord use to draw you to Himself?”  He answered back and then asked the same…Thus began our journey.  It was the many emails and then hundreds of text messages, which lead to our first 6 hour telephone conversation while I was on vacation visiting friends in Cape Cod.  After so much writing, we were afraid we wouldn’t have anything left to say over the phone.  We were so wrong, thankfully!  The Lord used this initial form of written communication to allow us to quickly break through the surface to reveal who God had really made us to be.  We skipped the shallow greetings and went straight to real topics and “hard questions”.  We both look back on this fondly.  We are both grateful to the Lord for laying such a strong foundation of transparency and trust with one another.

While I was away in Cape Cod we logged 2,400 cell phone minutes while we talked from across the USA.  Each evening after Lou and Amy (Diane’s friends) went to sleep and after Joseph and Hannah went to sleep, we would talk for hours and play online Scrabble across the miles.  During this time we anticipated meeting in person upon my return to the Long Beach Airport.  We still don’t know how we slept so little during those months, but thankfully, God (and lots of coffee) sustained us!

The story of “the early years” will continue soon, but for now, I am thinking on how good it is to remember the Lord’s work in our lives!  Recounting the story here reminds me of the great hope there is in His sovereignty and in His omniscience.  HE knows the end from the beginning and HE is in control.  All those years of wondering why He didn’t bring my husband were washed away with understanding. He has now given me the one I love, adore and respect and I could not imagine it being anyone other than Robin!  God had a plan. How often do we wonder what He is doing or even question Him when all the while He is writing a better story than we could have ever imagined. God is SO faithful.  Oh how He loves us and oh, how I love Him!

12 Responses

  1. Georgia says:

    Thank you for sharing, Diane! I have been curious to hear the story. 🙂

  2. Leah Cohen says:

    I love you Diane & think you’re the smartest person I know. I’m so grateful for that online dating service for bringing you into OUR lives. In Him … xo <

  3. jktubman1 says:

    This was so special Diane brought back memories. Thank you for sharing your memories. Judy

  4. Cindy Hobbs says:

    I remember those “early days” at Lou & Amy’s. How we met for Scrabble but ended up listening to your amazing story and excited to know what it would be like when Robin met you for the first time. Didn’t he meet you at the airport wn you returned to CA?
    It is fun to read your blog.
    How I praise the Lord for what He has done in your life. Your family is beautiful.
    Love in Christ,
    Cindy

    • Hi Cindy! Thank you for writing! Those were fun days! So glad you were there to share them with me! Yes, he did meet me there. I will write more soon! 🙂 Hope you are all well! Love in Christ, Diane

  5. It is a beautiful story. One worth sharing and remembering often. 🙂

  6. jen says:

    I came via pinterest although we don’t eat the same . We eat paleo I started reading your story and the adoption story. I am in love with your family I pray you will have a blessed Christmas.

    • Diane Marie Haller says:

      Jen thank you so much for your sweet encouragement. I am so grateful for your prayers and for your kindness. The more I learn about Paleo, the more I see that it is a GREAT way to eat! Blessings to you!

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