It’s time for another SRW “How We Met” story and the woman you’re about to meet is no stranger to me. We attended the same University and have stayed in touch ever since.
May this interview be a blessing to you and feel free to leave a comment below. (This will encourage me to share more How We Met Stories with you).
SRW: How does it feel to be Mrs. Williams?
Charmaine: It feels great! We have had a great relationship throughout the dating period and taking this huge step in getting married is like the cherry on top.
(SRW Opportunity Moment: So glad that she mentioned the “D” word because dating and courting are often used interchangeably. But there is a difference between the two. The difference is one’s mindset. If you date someone with the intention of marriage you have a courting mindset. And if you date someone without the intention of marriage you are just dating them. For more on this topic read Dating vs Courting)
SRW: Let’s go back six years, as a single, what was your mindset like in regards to meeting “The One”?
Charmaine: Six years ago would take me back to a time when I was starting to get discouraged with how my single life was going. I believe I am a person who liked being in a relationship over being single but was not willing to settle for someone so that I could walk around and say that I was in a relationship. I was tough, which was probably a deterrent for some guys but I think it worked in my favour in the end!
SRW: How did you meet your husband?
Charmaine: (I have known my husband for 16 years now. We met as friends and remained friends for about 10 years. However I always thought he was an amazing guy and hoped to meet someone like him one day.)
We met initially in 1997 through work. We both worked at the airport and our paths would cross quite a bit. At the time, he was in a relationship and I had been “dating/checking/talking to… (Whatever it was called back then haha!!)…someone who didn’t seem to want to make a firm commitment and for whatever reason in my life at the time, I was making it okay. In meeting my husband the first time, I instantly felt like he was refreshing to talk to, he inspired me, and he made me think about things that no one had made me think about before through our conversations. However as I said above, we met as friends and we were each on our own paths, dating other people and seeing what life had in store for us when it came to meeting “The One” but I never forgot about him. Throughout the years of knowing each other our paths had crossed a few times when we were both single and we would catch up every once in awhile over coffee or dinner but in 2008 when our paths crossed again something clicked and we both decided to take a chance on starting a relationship and now we are newlyweds!
SRW: From a scale of 1-10 how was he at pursuing you?
Charmaine: I’d give him a 10. I would say that he did everything right, I was just not in a place to receive everything he could offer before finally deciding to take a chance.
SRW: Charmaine, what you said right there is huge. Perhaps singles should ask themselves the question: am I ready to receive Mr/Miss. Right should they come along? Definitely something to think about for sure.
SRW: How did prayer/Holy Spirit help to guide you through your relationship?
Charmaine: Prayer works wonders in all aspects of life and for this particular area it guided my steps throughout the relationship. I am a very independent person and I find it difficult to lean on someone at times, but through seeking God’s guidance, it became quite clear that although it is important to do your part in a relationship, it is just as important for you to allow the other person to do theirs. They can only do that if you let them in.
SRW: What are your thoughts about the SRW book?
Charmaine: I think the SRW book allows people to embrace their singleness and understand that this is the time that you should be preparing yourself for your next relationship. It also outlines certain standards that you should have for yourself before even getting to that next relationship. I wasn’t single at the time that the book came out but there were some very important messages in the book that I could have used in those times when I felt I was a frustrated single girl.
SRW: Thanks for sharing Charmaine, I too could have used this book in my single days ..lol. So glad that it has been a source of encouragement to many. Now, you also supported my book launch and wrote a blog about it. (Readers you can check this out here Celebrating Sisterhood Blog)
SRW: In closing, what kind of advice do you have for my single, ready and waiting readers?
Charmaine: Advice…? Well I would say that while you are single, and I mean truly single, with no baggage still left in the back room, that is the time when you really need to set some serious standards for yourself and make sure all who approach you know where you are willing and not willing to go. Too many times us women settle and become willing to pass on one or three of our standards because of the sunshine and roses that someone happens to be speaking at the time…. Believe me, it’s not worth the time spent.
SRW: And the church said….Aaaamen! Thank you so much Charmaine for sharing with us. May the good Lord continue to bless you and your life together as husband and wife.
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Thanks a bunch and God Bless:)