Why I Love Him

I feel that with how sweet Boyfriend is being by coming back to College Station with me just days before Christmas to keep me company, he certainly deserves a blog posting of his own. If you are reading this blog, you probably already know Clayton, or at the very least, know who he is. But since writing is one of the ways I show love and because he truly means the world to me, I want to tell you a little about him from my perspective and give you some insight into why I just think he’s great!

I don’t remember a place and time when Clayton and I first met. I’m sure it was probably some junior high math class, but at that time, basketball held my heart more firmly than any boy could. I know I probably appreciated his math skills as a junior high girl, amazed that he was so willing to help any student in the classroom even though he was all their junior. Beyond that, he was just the curly headed smart kid that sat quietly in the corner and made straight A’s. I was always a good student, but he was a great one.

Babies

In high school, Clayton and mine’s paths crossed a little more often as my interests turned more towards football and friendships. We were both on the track team together, and while intentional conversations were probably non-existent, we did spend a lot of time in the same tent with dozens of other sweaty and stinky teammates at meets. Our time together increased as his role as my math tutor became more prominent- my math skills reached their peak in 8^th grade, and so his aid was all the more necessary as classes amplified in difficulty.  While I dated a good friend of his and started hanging out in his closer circle of friends, our friendship grew beyond the classroom and after school math sessions. I began to see Clayton as more of a friend, and his sweet temperament, unrivaled patience, and calm sense of confidence grew on me more and more. Finally, in my junior year, Clayton took me to homecoming. At the time, I sincerely thought it nothing more than a genuine gesture of friendship, and our time together that night was amiable, although I believe that he felt otherwise. For a period of time, our feelings for each other didn’t line up, but that’s ok, because all that matters is that they eventually did, and the roads we both walked down, albeit short and sweet, led us to the place we are now.

Football games with him were the BEST! 

The stars aligned my senior year and all was right in the world (ha). What began as giving this sweet, curly-headed friend a chance turned into the ride of my life with my best friend. While the road was rather rocky in that first year as both of us struggled to figure out what dating was really all about while trying to navigate life with new baby wings, I think we learned a lot along the way. That first year of college was a little rough as my time with him was much more limited than I was used to. However, I think it helped us a lot in still maintaining separate lives and really growing as individuals, something I would never take back. I see so many couples who didn’t get the blessing of going through that, and they played marriage all through college and severely missed out on so many of the God-sent blessings of friendships that Clayton and I both received. I realize that was nothing we did and all God’s great wisdom and greater purpose for us.

Surrounded by members of our Impact family!

These past two and a half years of sharing college life together really seems like a dream. I can’t even sum up in words the goodness that was written all over these years, especially this past one. God dropped a bucket of blessings on us through genuine and sincere friendships, both individually and together, mentors and role models, once-in-a-lifetime experiences, leadership positions, organizations full of godly people that pushed us to pursue Him more recklessly, a God-fearing church, and just through community in general. He built a family for us here in College Station, and even though I know life only gets better from here, I can’t possibly imagine a better life beyond knowing the incredible people I’ve been blessed to call friends. I focus on this so much because they truly helped grow Clayton and I into the man and woman God desires for us to be, and without their constant love and support and encouragement, we wouldn’t be who we are. Most importantly, I think our relationship is consistently affirmed through the mutual friendships we have because we get to spend time together and with the body at the same time as we have found circles of friends we both enjoy.

More wonderful friends-turned-family!

Clayton loves the Word of God and feeds on it like it is the very bread of life that it is. He loves God more than He loves me, and because of that, He loves me well. I’ve seen Clayton become sharpened as a man of God, and even in his growing, I see his humble acceptance of who he was created to be coupled with a desire to go even deeper still. Clayton challenges me to know God more as well, giving me encouragement, motivation, wisdom, and excitement to pursue Him wholeheartedly.

Clayton is my best friend. I love that about our relationship. I’m so thankful that it was built on friendship and an authentic care and respect for one another. There is so much honesty and clarity after more than 4 years, that of course was worked at and paid for, and trust is the cornerstone of this relationship. He is the biggest goober one moment and will wrap you up in the most empathetic hug the next. He has such patience with me, whether through tears and bloodshed during math class, or simply handling my sometimes abrasive nature and vicious rhetoric.

Clayton's high school graduation

My college graduation- we've come a long way in that time!

He loves people so well. We are always the last to leave any room or social gathering, because Clayton will not leave until every person there feels like a million bucks. This has probably been my favorite part about watching Clayton grow up. He has always had this heart of gold and relational mindset, but it has been so neat to see how college has challenged him and how he has opened up to so many people and truly blossomed into the hands and feet of Christ. Who would have ever thought that my often-shy math friend would transform into Mr. A&M?

I’m so proud of all that he is and all that he will be. Clayton is brilliant, if you haven’t already guessed by the relentless references to math. As a biomedical engineer in the making, Clayton could truly take any path after May 2012. The thing I love about him is that he is sold out to following the will of the Lord for his life. He has so many gifts and talents beyond the classroom that I have no doubt the Lord will use him in a mighty way, and Clayton is more than willing to lay those gifts right back at his maker’s feet. I’m excited to follow this boy one day because I can trust that he won’t chase money or esteem- He’ll chase Truth.

My best friend :)

I could go on and on and on. What I really want you to know is that I’m just tickled pink that I get to call this boy my boyfriend. I’m so proud of him, and I just wanted to love on him a little with my words and let him know how thankful I am for his presence in my life. It’s a relationship that has been tested and has consistently come out stronger through the flames, and with only 4 years behind us, I know there’s more of that to come. But I couldn’t choose a better friend to walk through this crazy life with than Clayton Scott Messinger.