A Love Story (Part 1)

I was no different than most little girls when it came to dress-up. I loved it! As I look at this picture of me in my mom's wedding dress, I think of all the little girls out there who dream of being a princess. They dream of a beautiful dress, they dream of finding their prince charming and falling magically in love, and they dream of living happily ever after. I hate to say it, but most of the time it just is not that easy.

I was never the boy-crazy, star-gazed, drama queen type of girl. I had plenty of friends that fell into that category, but I became pretty good at keeping my feelings welled up inside, acting as if boys didn't intrigue me whatsoever.

As I got older, I began to see my siblings get married and I couldn't believe how happy they all seemed. Watching each of them experience a faith marriage made quite an impact on their little sister.

When I entered high school, I became very active in the young group and enjoyed going to events with my older brother, Lance, and some Fiechter cousins. Since us Fiechter kids lived so far away from the majority of the church people, we would carpool to almost everything together. Us cousins were very close. I counted on my cousins when I was first entered the young group, and they were some of the best friends I had. AND THEN IT HAPPENED.........5 WEDDINGS IN LESS THAN 9 MONTHS.

Not just any random five weddings, but the weddings of four of my close girl cousins and my last single brother. The Fiechter families were going crazy with wedding plans, wedding talk, and wedding drama (ok, not the drama so much, but we were getting real sick of showers and wedding cake=).

Krista and I did everything together. I wasn't surprised when she told me she was getting married, but I knew I would miss her company as a single cousin/friend.

I still remember where I was standing, the day that Lance told me he was engaged to Sara. Of course I didn't believe him. My immature, 20-year old brother engaged? No way, especially  not to beautiful, sweet Sara. I will admit though, he is a pretty stellar guy.

When all of these love stories for my cousins and brother started happening, that was really the first time I began to wonder and think about the possibility of someday being married. I began to wonder and question, 'God, I have seen all these faith journeys unfold in the lives of my loved ones, will I ever be prepared or worthy enough to experience one of my own?'

As a Junior in high school though, I had other things to worry about. College was definitely more of a priority for me to think about, and I wanted to get more deeply involved with the Young Group. Those two things, along with friends, family, and a real job became my life for the next 3 years. The couple years I had out of high school were the most growing, beneficial years of my life. A few key things that really started to sink in to my thick skull were, I finally began to understand that my security comes from Christ and not from what others say or think about me, and I started to comprehend the fact that God truly looks at the heart and not the outward adorning. What a comfort!

Every time one of my friends would get married, God would provide another single friend for me. It was amazing! I became friends, not just with older girls or girls my ow age, but the middle-aged and younger girls too. Age was not a barrier, for I had such a great time with my friends of all ages. Not to mention, my nieces and nephews. They liked having someone extra at Grandma and Grandpa's house when they would come over.

Can't you tell they love their single aunt? I sure miss you three little munchkins.

Silly faces with Corinne!

I could go on and on about those few years, but basically I felt used where God had placed me. The Bluffton YG was the perfect place for me to serve and use my gifts and talents. I looked forward to being with them every weekend.

December of 2012, I traveled to Les Cayes, Haiti with about twelve others from Bluffton. We had a wonderful trip, and all of our hearts were touched. We returned home much more contented than when we had left.

The few weeks after that trip, God really worked on my heart. He knew if He could get through to me, it would be after an experience like Haiti. It was as if there was a battle going on inside of me, and at first I was unsure of what He was trying to teach me. I soon realized that I had become too comfortable. I did not want to give up my comfortable, normal state of life. I was nervous and scared that he was showing me something that I didn't feel worthy of nor wanted to accept at that time. I dislike change, and I wanted to stay in the stage of life that didn't call for any major adjustments. I couldn't deny it though, sermons, scriptures, other people, the Holy Spirit, and a sick, convicting feeling in my stomach, they were all trying to tell me something. It was unlike anything I had every dealt with before. God was beginning to prepare me for marriage. The sermons I would hear, the scriptures I would open up to, and the things people would say, everything was pointing to marriage.

After I got over my self and my never-truly-desired plan of wanting to be single forever, I had such a feeling of peace and contentment. I gave it up to the Lord and gave him my will, desires, and future, at least I tried to give it all, but we are human. I had such a peaceful feeling, and I prayed that it would never go away. It remained for about three weeks. Soon my internship and college started, and life began getting in the way again.

I knew that God was foreshadowing that He would be leading me to marriage someday, but I didn't know when, who, or why he was even giving me an inkling. I did know that I needed to make the most of my single months and think about how serious marriage really was. I praise God for giving me a foretaste of my future plans, but it was hard not to come up with my own ideas of how I thought it should go. I had still not put all on the altar, part of me was holding back some selfish desires and wants. One of those desires was to stay in Bluffton, Indiana forever, but that is not what God had in mind.

On Saturday, August 10, 2013, at twenty years of age, I went to a Saturday night singing. This was no unusual thing for me to do. My aunt and uncle, Lynn and Ronda, had a singing at their house. I had just gotten home from vacation and was looking forward to seeing everybody again. What I didn't know was that somebody special was going to be there. Somebody who would change my entire world. He didn't know it either. This somebody was going to become my best friend one day. We officially met around the food table, I believe. That Saturday was the day I met Nate Zollinger, the man who would be my future husband.

Neither of us had any idea that, in less than one year, we would be married and madly in love. We didn't know that God would soon be leading our hearts together. Oh but that is a story for another time. It has taken several months of prayer, reading, and following in faith to get to the point that we are at today. A journey that has not been easy, but a journey that neither of us would ever change. Hebrews 11:6 was a core verse that I have held on to throughout everything, and I would soon realize what it truly met to walk by faith when faced with one of the biggest decisions of my life. "But without faith it is impossible to please Him: for he that cometh to God must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of them that diligently seek Him."

Stay tuned for Part 2!