Picklefish was a restaurant in downtown Mobile. I used to hang out a lot in downtown Mobile talking to people on the street about Jesus and it didn’t take long for us to find Picklefish, which had a great atmosphere and the best pizza in town. One of the cool things about the restaurant was that it had a second level where you could sit and watch everybody go by on the street.
One afternoon a group of my friends and I were getting together to hang out in the downtown area. I invited several people including a beautiful young woman, named Avia. At the time I thought there was nothing special about inviting her to come along. I had invited several people from a group (girls and guys) and she was just one that happened to be there. She said she would try, but had to babysit and wondered if she could take a child along. We all agreed that it would be okay set a time to meet.
To be honest, I don’t remember much about the day (other than we were dragging a little kid every where we went). I do remember at the end of the day as everyone was headed home, I helped Avia put the child in his car seat. As she drove off, I couldn’t resist the thought that she would be a great wife and mother one day. Then in a moment, it hit me. She was the one. She was the one that I wanted to marry. For the first time in my life I knew love beyond emotion and childish infatuation. I was ready to pursue Avia with the intent of marriage. I had never been drawn in so deep by someone’s character.
Even though I already knew Avia and her family, I needed to get to know her better. I didn’t even know if she liked me. I was conflicted in my thoughts. I had never pursued a woman where I was intentionally trying to learn more about her character (rather than living off the emotional highs of just liking someone). I wanted to get to know her, but at the same time I didn’t want to lead her on (I had become better at defining relationships and establishing boundaries). So I began seeking opportunities to spend time with her and her family.
The Story Continues: 21 Days of Bond(ing)
The Hill House 