By C. Haynes
You’re a young couple with a solid history, what was your courtship like?
We started dating in the 10th grade and later decided to get serious after 2 years of dating. We separated for 2 years in 04-06 and rekindled in the summer of 06. I (Rowan) thought the grass was greener on the other side, but after a failed relationship, I went back with a renewed love and appreciation for Lashonda. It wasn’t easy, but with a lot of prayer and support from friends and family, we were able to pull through.
“We have daily devotions and prayer before we leave for work. God is very important in our lives and has been for many years now.” – Mr. & Mrs. WadeWhat were some of the hardships you had to face? How did you handle hard times?
When our daughter was born, our relationship was very rocky. Growing up in a Christian household also added to the stress. We had some very strong people in our corner but one Sister, specifically, encouraged us through it all — Sister Aljoe. We remember her saying to us with a hug and kiss, “I still love you both”. We accepted what we did and never blamed anyone else for having a child before marriage. We developed a closer and more intimate relationship with God during this time.
Having God at the head of your relationship is important. Could you share with us how you began and maintained that triangle relationship?
We have daily devotions and prayer before we leave for work. God is very important in our lives and has been for many years now. Having a child also helps us to make the triangle relationship stronger each day. She is always watching what we do and imitates what she observes.
Your family unit is actually a diamond (God, Rowan, Lashonda and Jayda), you have a daughter. I know her and she is an absolute darling. How has she influenced you, in relation to each other and as parents to her?
Our daughter plays a huge role in our lives. We can both remember when she was born, we were both scared, but it all turned to joy once we held her in our arms. She is our bundle of joy and we constantly thank God for blessing us with such a wonderful young lady. She helps to keep us grounded and always smiling. We both understand that one day she will look for someone like her parents, so we show her how she ought to be treated- with respect and dignity. As parents we try to keep the appearance of
happiness, even when there are some stormy days. We want her to feel the love between us everyday and in turn she will love and respect others. God is the center of our family. Nothing impresses us more, than seeing her grow up with the fear and reverence for God.
This new area in your life… would you call it scary? Exciting? Challenging? All of the above, why?
We would say it’s exciting and at the same time challenging. We’ve been parents now for 11 years and it’s a joy to see all the hard work paying off. Our daughter is such a nerd, but at the same time she’s fun and very entertaining (gets it from her daddy). It’s challenging to see how the world is developing around her and that scares us. We are constantly praying for her everyday.
Your journey as Mr. & Mrs. began July 4th, 2014. What are you thankful for in this new beginning?
Rowan: I am thankful for God helping me to see what I had in front of me the whole time. He showed me that my now wife was and is the only one for me.
Lashonda: I am thankful that The Lord has brought us, to this point and for the love and support shown by our family and friends.
Do you have any advice for other couples?
The best advice we can give to other couples is to put God first and He will see you through everything. We would also advise couples dating to be best friends first. While time is not on our side, the future will be a lot easier when you marry your best friend.
“For I know the plans I have for you, declares the lord, plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.” – Jeremiah 29:11
This was originally published in the second printed issue of Agape News in October 2014.
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