Love Story of Rene and Celsa

Let me just share to you all, the excerpt of my love story with my wife Celsa, which I shared to our church’ Couple Night last Feb 7, as an introduction on God’s faithfulness to our lives.

I know to many this is a familiar love story. Nevertheless, it would be worthwhile to share this, hoping it would simulate some thinking and discussions.

Our love story is made in heaven, but our marriage is live on earth. It was based on the ideal Christian ways, but it was far from perfect, of course. I am grateful and I have no regrets.
Celsa and I met each other in a Christian organization environment, during our university years.

I get to know and committed by life to the Lord through The Navigators when I was in my first year college sometime in 1980. Since then, I was taught to make my studies the priority, and should not be involved in BGR or boy girl relationship. So I interact with the girls in “we are just friends” manners, the same treatment to each one, kept a distance, and conceal my intentions and crushes. But I always prayed to the Lord to prepare the right woman for me, while I was striving to become the right man for her. It was then in my fifth and final year that I started to look seriously for candidates. So then I have my short list, and started my exploration and investigative schemes.

I started to take notes on their strengths and weaknesses. So were their likes and dislikes and the compatibility with mine. Very good and important source of information were their spiritual leaders and also their colleagues. And I seek the counsel of the Navs leaderships and the confirmation from my spiritual leader. On top of it all I console to the Lord, cleanse my intentions and seek His will

It may sound to be very objective and dead emotions. But no, because in the process of it all, my emotion was slowly building up, although in a controlled and discipline manner. When I already “zero in” on Celsa, my love for her has grown so much that I also had experience “pounding” heart, “can’t live without her” feelings, sleepless nights, and “kilig to the bones”.

So when I finally graduated and finished the licensure board examination, I started to charge with full confidence. She was then was very well prepared too, that when I verbally express my love and intentions to her for the first time, she right away, there and then, accepted it. Can you imagine, I even told her to hold it and pray for it first. But after 2 days, we finally agreed to officially declare we are on.

We got married after 2 years, have four children and we are on our 22nd year. And here I am, still very much in love.

Rene Bongo