Tonight is a special blog takeover. Brent’s wife, Sidney, once again takes the reins of Don’t Blink. However, this time the subject matter is a little deeper. Enjoy this beautiful reflection from Mrs. Sidney Reser.

I am back to take over yet another blog post! Only this time, I’m sporting a fancy new ring and a fabulous new last name! That’s right, this is my first (but certainly not my last) blog post as the official Mrs. Sidney Reser! It’s taking some getting used to, but married life is blissful.

Marriage is beautiful.

In the weeks leading up to, and following our wedding, I found myself humbled by all of my blessings. I have been blessed with not one but TWO loving families. I have been blessed with supportive friends. But most importantly, I have been blessed with a wonderful husband. A generous, dedicated, doting husband, whom I could never be more thankful for!

In fact, as I was reflecting on our relationship before our wedding day, I found myself reeling because I truly believe that Brent was placed in my life purposefully. Divine intervention is the only way I can explain it. I know what most of you may be thinking….Good grief. Her mind has been clouded with newlywed bliss. She’s lost her wits. You’re wrong. I’m completely lucid in saying that meeting and falling in love with Brent was fate. Destiny , if you will. And for tonight’s blog post I’ll explain why. But first we’ll need to back up a few paces. To the time before I had met the love of my life. So….here we go…

In the earlier parts of 2014, I was feeling a little down and out about love. Don’t get me wrong, I was NOT some sad, sulky girl desperate for love, but I was frustrated with my current dating pool. At that time, most of my friends were either married, engaged, or in seriously committed relationships. I’d worn so many bridesmaid dresses I was starting to give Katherine Hiegl from “27 Dresses” a run for her money. My best friend Leslie and her husband, Brooks, had done their fair share of setting me up on blind dates, but each date came up short. It was one night while hanging out (after another catastrophic date no doubt) that Brooks said something that was more meaningful than any other dating advice I’d ever heard. He said, “pray about it.”

Seems innocent enough, but I took it to heart. Being the analytical mind that I am, I began to wonder….so if I pray about it, what should I pray for? Should I pray for a man? Should I pray for companionship? Should I pray for love in general? I wasn’t quite sure, so I set off seeking the knowledge I needed to pray for love. And where would one look for this knowledge, you ask? THE BOOKSTORE! DUH!!

So while scouring the shelves of my local Barnes and Noble for books about prayer and love…I happened upon one that seemed to offer just what I was looking for. The title : “What Women Don’t Know (And What Men Don’t Tell You)”. The second I read the title, a siren went off in my head!! DING DING DING!! WE HAVE A WINNER!

This is the book I picked up, “What Women Don’t Know.”

I bought the book, and immediately set off to the pool to do some heavy soul searching and reading, while also catching some rays. (Can you say multitasker??)

Anyway…as I’m reading through this book, I start to feel a little of what I call “buyer’s remorse”. I didn’t think this book was giving me much more than what I already knew, until I came across some scripture that really hit home. I had an “A-HA” moment, and suddenly everything made perfect sense in the realm of dating. The bible story I happened upon came from John 5. If you’re interested, it’s worth the read, but for those of you who like short cuts, I’ll gladly give you Sid’s cliff notes version. Here it goes:

So there once was a healing pool called Bethesda. It is said that the pool could heal the sickliest of people when its waters were churning. There was a catch though. Only the first person in the pool after the waters began moving would receive its healing powers. So when Jesus went to visit this pool, he was surprised to find that the pool’s five porches were filled with ailing people. Some were blind, others were deaf, and even some ailing with paralysis. So in his astonishment, Jesus approaches one of the paralyzed and asks (I’m paraphrasing here) “Do you want to be whole?” In other words, Jesus is asking, “Don’t you want to be better? Why are you hanging out on the porch here, silly? You’re right next to a healing pool!” The paralyzed man (who, mind you had been waiting 38 years. 38 YEARSS!!) replies to Jesus, “I can’t sir. Because I have no man to help me into the pool when the water is stirred up. Each time I try to get there, someone else always gets in ahead of me.”

A scene from the Pool of Bethesda

It’s when I read those 4 little words (I HAVE NO MAN) that it hit me like a ton of bricks. This was me. I was the paralyzed man (figuratively, of course.) I was paralyzed by the longing for companionship. I was just sitting on the porch of love, waiting for a man to dip me into the pool. But in fact, I didn’t need a man to dip into the pool. I just needed God. Just as Jesus helped the paralyzed man into the pool of Bethesda, he could help me into the pool of love.

So I did just that. I didn’t seek love. No, in fact, I worked really hard on developing a love for myself and the Lord. I felt that if I loved myself, then I could feel whole. And let me tell you, I did.

I felt whole! I was very happy. I had friends to enjoy my time with, a family to support me, and job that I loved. There wasn’t much else I needed. I was good to go.

But then….I kid you not….within a month…I met Brent. The instant that I had found comfort within myself…the most perfect of men was plopped smack dab in the middle of my life.

This is Brent and I on our first date over two years ago.

And it’s here that I believe it was fate. It had to be destiny. Divine intervention had to be at play when I met Brent. The timing was impeccable. I mean let’s look at the facts: I’d been down and out on love. I found confidence and love for myself, and then magically, a man moves ACROSS THE COUNTRY and within his first weeks here crosses my path. And we were a perfect match for one another. (Puzzle pieces, is what I call it.) What are the odds?

So in reflecting on all of this, I have to think, it was meant to be. Brent is truly my soul-mate. A gift from God. I think of this often when I look at Brent. And there are many days when Brent will catch me staring at him and ask “What are you looking at?”…my usual reply is “Oh how handsome you are!”, but in my mind I am silently counting my life’s most meaningful blessing. Him. Don’t Blink