I met my husband when I was 21 years old and he was 25. I had just started attending a new church and one Sunday morning I walked into the young adults’ Sunday School class to find this tall, green-eyed boy at the front of the room, subbing for our regular teacher.

I was smitten.

And so was he.

But he was shy and I was not, so I approached him and introduced myself. We chatted for a few minutes and parted ways. But shortly after that day, something strange began to happen.

He was everywhere!

I noticed that wherever I went in our church building, Matt showed up. If I went downstairs, he would come down. If I entered the sanctuary, he would hang around as well. If I needed something from the kitchen, he wanted a glass of water. And then he joined our Thursday night Bible study and our Sunday night fellowship group as well.

He seemed to always be where I was.

I didn’t realize it at the time, but he was wooing me.

His plan was that his presence would constantly remind me that he was around and that he was interested.

And it worked!

I found myself looking for him when he was in the vicinity and thinking about him when he was not. 

We started to talk as we casually “ran into each other” and we got to know each other little by little.

By the time he asked me out, we were good friends and pretty comfortable around each other.   

Every time I read the words of Psalm 139, I remember those first few months of courtship with Matt.

Hear what the psalmist writes:

“I can never escape from your spirit! I can never get away from your presence! If I go up to the heaven, you are there; if I go down to the place of the dead, you are there. If I ride the wings of the morning, if I dwell by the farthest oceans, even there your hand will guide me, and your strength will support me.” (Psalm 139: 7-9)

God woos us.

He pursues us. He who wants to be where we are. He is always there. He will not abandon us no matter where we go.

He wants to be near us. To remind us of his presence and of his unconditional love. To offer his guidance and his strength for the journey.

He is smitten with us.

Even if we don’t understand it. Or we don’t know why. Even if we feel undeserving or unworthy. There He is.

Even if we are angry and cannot stand to think about him. Or if we doubt that He really exists. Even if we are doing everything in our power to get away. There He is.

Even if we are clueless to it. Or indifferent. Even if we try to pretend that He is not there. There He is.

Today, some of us may just need to be reminded that we never walk alone.

Some of us may need to know that nothing we’ve done can separate us from his presence and his love.

And of some of us may need to surrender to God’s pursuit for the first time, to respond to his wooing and become comfortable in his presence, to accept his attentions and get to know him better.