Monday, April 4, 2011

{Personal} I'm ENGAGED!!... and Here's the Love Story

On September 1st, 2006,
I met him. Brandon.
In Virginia.
In a kitchen of mutual friends.
Surrounded by other people.
He was someone special.
Though I didn't know it at the time.
We exchanged funny words.
My sassy-ness about his t-shirt.
And later that evening,
time with an acoustic guitar + a little conversation about a hero in the faith.

Six months went by.
Another conversation.
As the sounds of high-school basketball echoed nearby.
We talked of evangelism, passion for Jesus, prayer.
I thought he was "intense."
I liked that.
I like that in anybody.
Then I forgot about him.

Two years went by.
I heard through the "grapevine" that he had a heart attack.
At age 22. Who does that?
Facebook message sent.
"Are you okay? praying for you!"
Response received... he talks alot!! I like that.
Then...
We talked alot.
Chatting online for hours.
About Jesus. Life. And a million other things.
Playing the game of Twenty Questions. Or 100 Questions.
Always deep, thought-provoking.
Friendship-building.... because I liked him. And he liked me.
But we never said that. Never talked about that.
Just friends.

Months and months went by.
Silence.
Then a facebook message.
And he called me. First phone call ever.
I remembered why I cared.
More talking. More questions than ever.
"I'm interested in you."
I like you. We like each other.
Possibilities of the future.
Still...
Not dating, just talking.
Just friends... kinda.

Circumstances change.
Sorrow and sadness. Hardship and heartbreak.
Months and months go by.
Again.
Silence.
Learning to walk in trust.
Learning to love Jesus more.
It was hard. It was good.
Miles and miles apart.
I was thinking about him.
He was thinking about me.
And we didn't know it.
Though things looked hopeless...
Change was coming...

December 22, 2010.
A facebook message..
and a few minutes later,
A phone call.
Catching up on life... he wants to come for a visit.
Then there's a blizzard.
So we decide to meet half-way...
Carlisle, PA.
I was going there anyway. Photography-location-scouting. ;)
Not a date, just a "friendly get-together."

January 8th, 2011.
I broke three cars the day before, and had to rent a car.
Somehow.. I think I knew I had to get to Carlisle...
.. because this was gonna change my life.
Someone locked his keys in his car, and he had to get a locksmith.
He was three hours late.
I was watching and waiting by a fireplace in the coffee-shop.
He walked in and my heart stopped.
I remembered why I cared.
We talked.. we walked in the bitter winter cold.
We looked at buildings and statues and windows and a fire station.
We petted a dog and talked to strangers.
We crossed the street and laughed at silly things.
We found a bookstore and had serious, soul-wrenching conversation.
We found a library and wandered around.
And it was still bitterly cold.
We were hungry and freezing cold. Found a restaurant.
Didn't really know it was quite so "date-like" as it turned out to be.
French cuisine & candlelight...
We stayed for 4 hours.
Talking about our lives.
The past, the present, the future.
"Kinda" making plans. Kinda-not-really.
Because we weren't dating.
Definitely not dating... just "very friendly friends."

Phone conversations stretched from one hour every other day.
To 3-5 hours per night.
We agreed... love is risky. Love means being vulnerable.
And by January 17th, 2011,
We came to the conclusion....
We are dating. "Let's call it what it is."
*smiles*

And so it began....
Discovering the rest of our lives.
Learning to {LOVE} truly.
Long-distance.
With opposing schedules (he works nights).
LOVE means meeting half-way (where it all began --- Carlisle, PA!). It means long drives and long dates. Small-town diners. Porch swings. Lots of coffee + chocolate. Bookstores. Slow jazz. A sparkling blue diamond heart necklace for Valentine's day. ;) Pretty sunsets and moonrises. Eskimo kisses. Picnics in chilly spring weather. It means falling asleep on the phone. Love-texts in the morning and in the evening. Love-letters by mail and by more modern methods--facebook. ;) Surprise roses. Ardent hand-holding. Teasing from family about being the "lovebirds." Discovering new places together. Making new memories in old places. Sharing stories of "last time I was here, I was thinking about you." Having magical 'moments' everywhere we go. Walking by waterfalls and rivers and fountains. Having more deep conversation than ever and always hungry for more. Challenging one another, questioning one another, provoking one another to love Jesus more...

And now we wonder.... We wonder at this beautiful mystery that love is. How we could love one another so much. How perfectly we fit together. How our personalities and tendencies complement each other. How the hand of God was so evident in our lives.The crazy, interesting, sometimes-not-so-good things that needed to happen in our lives for God to bring us together...
God has been good to us.

Oh yes,
And I'm gonna marry this man.


Proposal story coming soon.....


5 comments:

  1. Oh my goodness, how SWEET! I haven't been able to keep up with you since I got off facebook, but I'm so glad you posted this. Absolutely THRILLED for you! I happen to be married to a Brandon....good strong name.... ;) Congrats, girl!

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  2. Beautiful story. Can't wait for the proposal story. I'm so very happy for you two. Congratulations to you both.

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  3. That was awesome!!!! Thanks for taking the time to record it!

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  4. Beautiful...Congratulations Naomi & Brandon now, who do you go to for engagement photos? Set a timer? ;)

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