I shared a little on Facebook about how awesome my Hubby is to me. He’s not perfect and I doubt he’d be perfect FOR anyone other than me, we just fit. I don’t know how to describe it other than that. I doubt that I would be perfect for anyone other than him either! I truly believe God put us in the same place, at the same time, and knew that we would fall in love. When I met Hubby (Matthew Wayne Ford, a.k.a. Hubby), I was dating his friend’s (and life long neighbor) roommate. We’d just gotten to OSU and he was pledging a fraternity across the street from my sorority. It was not love at first sight, on either side. Hubby (I’ve called him that since I heard my director in Mary Kay call her husband that when I was 23 or so, I loved it when she referred to her husband as “Hubby”), didn’t look like the typical guy I would date and he hadn’t really begun his own dating life. Our love story is one that of a Romeo, that eventually saw me as a his Princess (which is what he calls me;)).
I never imagined a man like Matt Ford committing his heart to someone like me. Matt and I were real friends in college, we spent time talking about anything and everything. He had questions about so many things and because my life was lived “to the full” as a Richardson, I had many answers. In ways it was a courtship, because we weren’t dating one another, we were dating other people, while we got to know one another. I never had anything but friendship in mind, I didn’t think at least, and he hadn’t spent time with girls to really evaluate what he was looking for. I made him laugh and that must have been what his heart was looking for, laughter. We have always had fun together, though much of our last 15 years have been filled with health issues and financial situations, we always took time to have a good time and conversation has never been something we lacked. And we have definitely worked to make our sex life satisfying for each of us. We realize it is our God given gift to make that an experience of true love enjoyable because God ordained it for marriage to be something He wants us to do…become ONE.
Matthew means “a gift from God” and Chandra means “reflector of Light”. Our names literally are blessings that our parents gave each of us. I believe that Hubby was my gift, I didn’t earn him or deserve him, but he chose me and has been a blessing to me. We haven’t had a trouble free marriage, if that exists please let me know. We were kids when we met, barely out of high school. Our stories to that point in life had been vastly different, and how we ended up at the same place is still a mystery to me. It had to be a plan set in place long before we landed at OSU in the same apartment, on the same night and friendship began. Hubby was different, he was curious and I loved that side of him. Our conversation was comforting, he was able to talk about deep subjects with me and I knew he loved God. I asked God to bring me a man that would love me and love Him, I didn’t know what that looked like but I knew if he loved God, he would be good to me. Little did I know that love could look like it does in our home and relationship, God has been good to us.
We didn’t have much money throughout our relationship other than for short stints here and there. We’ve always said God kept us poor enough to keep us together so we would make it through the rough times because a phrase we used to say to each other is, “we can’t afford to get divorced”. We fought throughout the years, and during some times we treated each other with contempt as if the other were our enemy. The enemy has come to steal, kill, and destroy in our relationship, but God (my favorite two words in the Bible) has always been faithful to show up and help us when we are down emotionally, physically, financially, and every other way because He has always had a purpose in our ONENESS. We haven’t always prayed together or been the example of God’s love to each other or others, but somehow in God’s mercy and grace we are still together and more in love than ever!
Matt Ford is a good man. Several years ago Craig Groeschel, in a sermon, taught us a Hebrew word, Atta Ha’Ish. It means “you’re the man”. Several times in Hubby’s life, he has had men tell him that “he’s the man” and it always makes me think of that sermon. I would agree with the men that say that because he’s the kind of guy that can solve a problem that you don’t even know you have. He’s been sainted with “Saint Matthew – Finder of lost things”, his sense of humor is inviting, his eyes say he adores me (most of the time), and submitting to him over the years has become easier rather than more difficult because I know he does his best by me consistently. I honestly didn’t know these kinds of men existed, my childhood didn’t look like that and I wasn’t around any relationship where the man served the woman, at least not that I recall. It was a different generation I guess, but Hubby has always pitched in and helped make things happen right by my side. As his relationship with Jesus grows, I can’t help but fall more in love with him.
With our 27th year anniversary coming up Friday, I want to say to anyone who reads this and to the man of my dreams that I am blessed beyond reason with the man I married and the children we created together. You, Matt Ford, are worth every disagreement and conflict, and life wouldn’t be the same without you. I will love you for as long as we both shall live and when we see one another in heaven, we will run into each other’s arms. You are the love of my life and my very best friend. Thank you for loving me, choosing me, and serving me, you are definitely my knight in shining armor (see why I had that song at our wedding?;). I cannot wait until Friday!♥️
This is what is above our bed, our story is a real love story. ♥️
As Beauty Unfolds... 