Wednesday, June 27, 2012

Answering The Man...

Ahhh...me and dates. I have quite the knack of remembering important events that have occurred in my lifetime, especially when they deal with matters of my closely guarded heart. Over the last few months I've been sharing about my love life...

Ok, wait. Don't leave just yet. If you haven't read about the unusual circumstances of how my husband and I met then please, go HERE to catch up on our love story before reading on. Hopefully everything will then make sense...

But back to dates. Saturday, June 23rd was yet another Anniversary for my husband and I. You see, it was six years ago that he asked me to marry him. This is how it began...

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When Jeff flew back to Houston in May of 2006 he took more than just his suitcase. As sappy as it sounds my tall Texan took my heart right along with him. I had finally done it...not just fallen in love but had actually told him, "I Love You!" Of course I waited until he told me first (His side of the story is a tad different than mine but I'm the one telling the story here!) but I had known it all along; weeks before we met in person, to be honest with you. We'd even talked about getting married throughout his brief visit. Yeah, this was pretty serious.

His plane hadn't even taxied down the runway when I was already planning to fly out and see him, I missed him that much....LOVED him that much.

Mom, our ever present chaperone, and I booked a June flight to Houston the next morning and then I counted down the days until we were to see each other again...

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I was starting to panic...AND sweat. The air conditioning was broken at Birmingham International Airport and our flight to Houston was delayed...again. It seemed a summer storm had blossomed during the morning and had rooted itself right over the city. 

Forty-five minutes later my heart sank even lower when our departure time was changed once again and then canceled an hour after that.  My Mom, who seemed just as desperate to be on our way to Texas, and I  jumped in the car and took off down the road. Our heading: Texas City.

Sixteen hours later (we stopped for a few hours of sleep along the way) Jeff and I were together again. *sigh*

We spent the day together doing some site seeing, eating dinner with Jeff's pastor and his wife, and then  making a last stop for a tour of his church. We wandered through the fellowship hall into the auditorium and he encouraged me to try out the piano.

I played for a few minutes and when I stood to leave Jeff directed me to the front pew. I thought it odd that my Mom, who had just vacated the same seat I took, was now casually looking over the missionary bulletin board at the back of the church. But my attention was pulled to the pulpit where Jeff now stood, declaring that now it was his turn to preach.

His message was most definitely eloquent, an expression of the greatest love that Christ had showed to him in saving his soul. He had never known true love until he met the Savior...for in knowing that love, he knew the kind of love he had for me.

Oh yeah. He had my attention.

Especially when he proceeded to tell me there was something for me under my seat. I pulled out a Bible box, carefully lifted the lid and slowly read the words inscribed on the front: Kari Lynn, will you marry me?

I was shocked speechless (which is very hard to do) and looked to Jeff in confusion. There he was, on his knees before me, a ring in his hand...
I didn't know what to say. My mind was numb and my mouth wouldn't work.

"Answer the man!" 

My Mom's teary prompting from the back of the auditorium seemed to loosen my tongue enough to whisper, "Yes!!"

It was so romantic. Better than I would have ever dreamed.

So this past Sunday I was able to convince my husband to re-take the picture above and include our two precious kiddies...
My husband is the man of my dreams and my answer to prayer. I couldn't have imagined anything better!

2 comments:

  1. I am glad the Lord led you two together. You are a sweet couple and family and I'm glad to share a small part in your lives when we can get together!

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  2. I used to say when I was a teenager that God made one man just for me. I didn't know just how true my words were until I met Jeff. We were certainly made for each other. Marrying him made all the waiting so much sweeter...and I'm so thankful for you and your family's part in his life. Without your witness he never would have accepted Christ as Savior. We are so thankful for you and your friendship!

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