While it is still Valentine's Day here in the US, where Shane is, it's his birthday! I wanted to take some time to explain why I am so thankful that he was born 25 years ago. This is not only one of my favorite stories, its a very big piece of my testimony. Be warned, it may get a little sappy because I miss him, today he surprised me with getting our friends to give me flowers and my favorite chocolate, and I'm pregnant so the hormones are flowing. I hope you enjoy it, because it is open, honest, and raw.
I am thankful for Shane on his birthday, because his constant faithfulness to the Lord is what ultimately brought me to Christ.
January 22, 2011 Shane Tanner Wiseman took me on our first date (a group date with his friends) to go swing dancing. Disclaimer: this was after we had been talking for about a month and getting to know more about each other over lunch (which made him nervous that he was entering the friend zone). I knew he was a Christian, but I wasn't entirely sure how big of a part of his life this was. I always believed in God and I believed that Christ was the son of God, but I had never fully given my life to the Lord. I had never surrendered everything I have and am to following God. Later on down the road, Shane would tell me a very profound statement: "Satan believes in Jesus Christ. What sets us apart, is we desire to become more like Christ, instead of living our lives in opposition to him." The majority of my life had been just that; living opposite of the ways that the Lord desired me to live, and not really thinking twice about it. Anyways, that night, Shane invited me to church the following day. After church, he asked me how I liked the service, and then asked me if I was saved. Of course I said yes. He told me that he couldn't date someone who didn't know Jesus as their lord and savior. He asked me to share my testimony with him. So I came up with something that I thought was good from a young life retreat that I took in high school. I realized then how serious he was about this whole "church thing". He asked me to be his girlfriend that evening, and I decided that he was really nice, and I would like to give it a try.
The next day, I went to Barnes and Noble and bought a bible.
Every time he would stop by my dorm, I would throw the bible open and read something real quick so I could show him how I got a nugget out of this or that passage. I was bamboozling him into believing that this girl, who he thinks is awesome, was a Christian. (When I tell him this later, he laughs and tells me he always thought it was strange that EVERY time he came over I was reading the bible. But then, being the sweet man that he is, he goes, "then I just thought maybe you were just really getting after it".)
We started going to Northstar church every Sunday.
I started enjoying church services, and paying attention to what was being said. I enjoyed the people who were pouring into my life and the new friends I was making. I became curious about this new life people kept talking about, because it seemed so wonderful.
On Easter Sunday, 2011, Jeff Noble handed out a book called " A Case for Easter". If you haven't read it, please do. It is only 100 pages and it will change your life. That book was the tipping point on the scale. After reading it and ugly crying over it, I fully gave my life to Christ. It wasn't a game for me anymore. I felt my entire life shift in that moment toward something that is more than I could ever hope to put into words. As I look back, I am thankful that God loves us so much, that he will reach down through our own sin, and use it for his glory. He chose me to be his daughter, and I am so undeserving, but so very grateful and thankful.
Mark 2:17 "And when Jesus heard it, he said to them, "Those who are well have no need of a physician, but those who are sick. I came not to call the righteous, but sinners."
Thank the Lord for that, because I desperately needed a physician. And don't mistake my words, because I am definitely still a sinner, but I am constantly in hot pursuit of my physician!
I have been so blessed to have Shane in my life as my husband. He continues to show me the love of Christ on a daily basis in his patience, grace, love, kindness, and leadership. I love seeing God work through our marriage and use our times apart to reaffirm his position at the center of our marriage. We love each other so well because we both strive to show the other the love of Christ. The way Shane treats me, makes me strive to be the woman who he seems to think I am. His patience alone is astonishing and is a true testament to the Holy Spirit living in him.
I am thankful that God loves me so much that he not only gives me the biggest blessing of my life in saving me and promising an eternity with him. No, on top of that, he extra blesses me by giving me this man who I absolutely adore and look up to.
Happy Birthday Shane. I love you, and I am forever thankful for you. Thank you for your servant-leader heart, and for being a shining example of what it means to follow the lord and obey his calling. I get so excited when I think about raising our son together.
What a stud.
Was he in Korea
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