The Beginning of Us
Since this month marks five years since Rory and I met, I wanted to take a walk down memory lane and write about how we met : ) Its kind of a long story but I love every detail because it shows just how God works in everything!
The summer of my senior year of college, I begged my parents to let me stay in Florence so I could spend the last available summer of college with my friends - the following summer would have to be spent in an internship in Memphis. My dad gave me an ultimatum that I could stay if I found a job that would allow me to pay for my apartment AND help me save for my next year of college (yes, I paid my own way through college by working through the summer for tuition - btw, GREAT idea for teaching responsibility to college students. Mad props to Mom and Dad!) The only way that I could do that being a 21 year old with limited work experience was to get two jobs. God blessed me with an awesome job at a doctor's office working in data entry and making pretty good money for a college student...but it wasn't enough to be able to pay all the bills.
So I went on the search for another job that I could work in addition to the 40 hrs/wk at my other job. In only a way that God could have organized, my best friend was downtown and noticed that Dick's Sporting Goods was hiring. She immediately called me and told me that I needed to apply and - like any good friend - told me it would be a great place to meet guys because guys love sports equipment! (I can see several of you laughing hysterically because you know Rachel and because you can totally see her saying that) I wasn't thrilled about working retail but it was another job and it wouldn't hurt to apply. I went home and filled out an application online and waited.
Just a note here - most retail applications have a section to fill out what days and hours you can work. That section on my application was very meager because of my other job and because I didn't want to work on Sundays or Wednesdays. If any of you have worked retail, you know that the pickier you are on your schedule, the less likely they are to hire you.
I didn't have long to wait because the next day I got a call from the manager of Dick's offering me an interview. I was actually shocked that they called me because I had so many exceptions on my application and I really couldn't work that much during the week. So I went in for the interview and it went amazing! The guy told me that the times I could work were perfect for what they needed and that the pay I was asking was more than they usually paid their cashiers but I had experience and they agreed to pay me what I requested. Seriously, only with the help of God! So I got the job and was able to start immediately.
So I was now working almost 60 hours a week to help pay for my apartment and college tuition for the next year - so much for having time to hang out with my friends. I did get to do some things on the weekends that I didn't work nights at Dick's so I got to experience some things that I wouldn't have if I'd moved home and worked. Looking back, it was a good life lesson but I don't think I'll be working multiple jobs unless absolutely necessary! It was hard but well worth it when I was able to pay for my tuition and keep up with the bills : ) So back to the story...
I wasn't really on the lookout for a guy at this point because I figured, God will have a way for me to meet the right guy. Truthfully, I was hanging out with another guy at the time. It wasn't anything serious and we were really more of just friends that hung out a lot. He had been through some stuff and I was an ear to listen. I don't think it would have gone anywhere but it definitely kept me occupied from looking for a boyfriend...and you know what they say, it always happens when you're not looking : ) So I had met most of the guys that worked at Dick's and none of them really stood out. They were all very nice but I have to assume that some of the niceness was due to the fact that I was the "new girl". Since I worked in the front, my interaction with other employees was limited to other cashiers and the golf guys and some of the team sports people.
One Friday evening, I was working to closing and I noticed there were some employees that I had met coming in in street clothes. They said they were going to work overnight setting up team sports with football stuff (it was May, so naturally, people are starting to look forward to football season...oh to live in the south). One guy walked in that I didn't recognize. I had gotten used to most of the employees walking in and noticing a new face at the register and coming to introduce themselves (definitely a perk of living in the south...everyone is ober nice!). This guy didn't really even acknowledge me! It made me want to meet him that much more, but because it was during store hours, there was no opportunity for me to leave my register. I waited for him to walk closer to the registers so I could start a conversation but that never happened : /
After the store closed, I walked around cleaning up some of the sections and saw him walk by out of the corner of my eye. I waited for a second and saw him back up to come talk to me - despite what he says, he really did walk backwards and not just turn around ; ). My stomach dropped and I got all nervous because, of course, I thought he was really cute. He asked me if I was the new girl (real original, I know) and then introduced himself. I couldn't really hear what he said his name was but I thought he said his name was Cory - which apparently a lot of people make the mistake of hearing (that or Roy). I was too embarrassed to ask him to repeat his name, so he was Cory for a week until I figured out his name was actually Rory. I tried not to get all excited because I always think I jinx myself when I over-think things. I walked around cleaning more and was so nervous that I tried to avoid going near him (such a typical girl). After that night, I went home and just nonchalantly brought him up to my roommate as just some new guy I had met. Little did I know that he would be THE guy.
This just goes to show that God handles it all. I am beyond blessed to have been able to meet such an amazing guy and marry my best friend! My only hope is that other people can experience the love and happiness I have with Rory. I love him more than words can express!
God bless!
The summer of my senior year of college, I begged my parents to let me stay in Florence so I could spend the last available summer of college with my friends - the following summer would have to be spent in an internship in Memphis. My dad gave me an ultimatum that I could stay if I found a job that would allow me to pay for my apartment AND help me save for my next year of college (yes, I paid my own way through college by working through the summer for tuition - btw, GREAT idea for teaching responsibility to college students. Mad props to Mom and Dad!) The only way that I could do that being a 21 year old with limited work experience was to get two jobs. God blessed me with an awesome job at a doctor's office working in data entry and making pretty good money for a college student...but it wasn't enough to be able to pay all the bills.
So I went on the search for another job that I could work in addition to the 40 hrs/wk at my other job. In only a way that God could have organized, my best friend was downtown and noticed that Dick's Sporting Goods was hiring. She immediately called me and told me that I needed to apply and - like any good friend - told me it would be a great place to meet guys because guys love sports equipment! (I can see several of you laughing hysterically because you know Rachel and because you can totally see her saying that) I wasn't thrilled about working retail but it was another job and it wouldn't hurt to apply. I went home and filled out an application online and waited.
Just a note here - most retail applications have a section to fill out what days and hours you can work. That section on my application was very meager because of my other job and because I didn't want to work on Sundays or Wednesdays. If any of you have worked retail, you know that the pickier you are on your schedule, the less likely they are to hire you.
I didn't have long to wait because the next day I got a call from the manager of Dick's offering me an interview. I was actually shocked that they called me because I had so many exceptions on my application and I really couldn't work that much during the week. So I went in for the interview and it went amazing! The guy told me that the times I could work were perfect for what they needed and that the pay I was asking was more than they usually paid their cashiers but I had experience and they agreed to pay me what I requested. Seriously, only with the help of God! So I got the job and was able to start immediately.
So I was now working almost 60 hours a week to help pay for my apartment and college tuition for the next year - so much for having time to hang out with my friends. I did get to do some things on the weekends that I didn't work nights at Dick's so I got to experience some things that I wouldn't have if I'd moved home and worked. Looking back, it was a good life lesson but I don't think I'll be working multiple jobs unless absolutely necessary! It was hard but well worth it when I was able to pay for my tuition and keep up with the bills : ) So back to the story...
I wasn't really on the lookout for a guy at this point because I figured, God will have a way for me to meet the right guy. Truthfully, I was hanging out with another guy at the time. It wasn't anything serious and we were really more of just friends that hung out a lot. He had been through some stuff and I was an ear to listen. I don't think it would have gone anywhere but it definitely kept me occupied from looking for a boyfriend...and you know what they say, it always happens when you're not looking : ) So I had met most of the guys that worked at Dick's and none of them really stood out. They were all very nice but I have to assume that some of the niceness was due to the fact that I was the "new girl". Since I worked in the front, my interaction with other employees was limited to other cashiers and the golf guys and some of the team sports people.
One Friday evening, I was working to closing and I noticed there were some employees that I had met coming in in street clothes. They said they were going to work overnight setting up team sports with football stuff (it was May, so naturally, people are starting to look forward to football season...oh to live in the south). One guy walked in that I didn't recognize. I had gotten used to most of the employees walking in and noticing a new face at the register and coming to introduce themselves (definitely a perk of living in the south...everyone is ober nice!). This guy didn't really even acknowledge me! It made me want to meet him that much more, but because it was during store hours, there was no opportunity for me to leave my register. I waited for him to walk closer to the registers so I could start a conversation but that never happened : /
After the store closed, I walked around cleaning up some of the sections and saw him walk by out of the corner of my eye. I waited for a second and saw him back up to come talk to me - despite what he says, he really did walk backwards and not just turn around ; ). My stomach dropped and I got all nervous because, of course, I thought he was really cute. He asked me if I was the new girl (real original, I know) and then introduced himself. I couldn't really hear what he said his name was but I thought he said his name was Cory - which apparently a lot of people make the mistake of hearing (that or Roy). I was too embarrassed to ask him to repeat his name, so he was Cory for a week until I figured out his name was actually Rory. I tried not to get all excited because I always think I jinx myself when I over-think things. I walked around cleaning more and was so nervous that I tried to avoid going near him (such a typical girl). After that night, I went home and just nonchalantly brought him up to my roommate as just some new guy I had met. Little did I know that he would be THE guy.
This just goes to show that God handles it all. I am beyond blessed to have been able to meet such an amazing guy and marry my best friend! My only hope is that other people can experience the love and happiness I have with Rory. I love him more than words can express!
God bless!
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