RESCUING MY PRINCESS - Explore Archived World Race Alumni Blogs

“I sleep, but my heart is awake; it is the voice of my beloved! He knocks, saying, “Open for me, my sister, my love, my dove, my perfect one…” Song of Solomon 5:2

My princess sits atop a tower waiting for her prince to come and rescue her. She cries out night after night asking her Father to bring him to her. He lay in bed crying out to his Father asking for Him to open the door for him to get his bride.

The princess is Erin Ellen McKenna and the tower is Crown Point, Indiana. Two weeks ago I visited Crown Point, Indiana with the sole purpose of meeting the McKenna family and getting Mr. McKenna’s blessing to marry his daughter. After 12 days in Indiana and Georgia, my princess thought that her prince would sweep her away while he was there. But that would be too noticeable, so I decided to wait until the perfect time. That perfect time was Christmas day.

When the Lord laid it on my heart for Christmas day, I broke the news to my family, which was hard for them at first but then when they heard my vision they blessed me and sent me on my way. I was in communication with Mr. McKenna from the very beginning and we set up the perfect surprise visit.

The Lord dropped vision after vision of how I could steal my princess’s heart and sweep her off her feet. I am a romantic at heart and I have to ride in on my white horse and show the daughter of my King how special she is and how she NEEDS to be treated. Well, after receiving the ring, which turned out to be perfect, I was almost ready.

On the Saturday before Christmas, I decided to make a video explaining the whole year of the World Race. One of Erin’s and my favorite movies is “Christmas Vacation” so I made a guest appearance of Cousin Eddie played by Chad Mast to kick off the beginning of the video. 13 minutes later the video was perfectly orchestrated with only two takes. Praise the LORD!!!

So here was the plan… I had diverted Erin’s attention and she had no clue that I would be coming in on Christmas. She thought that it was the last Christmas that we would spend with our families alone. It was perfect and she was so bummed.

I arrived at the San Diego airport at 11:40 and on the way, my sister and I saw these huge diamond ring statues that we had never seen before and wondered where they came from…Ironic? No… I got to the airport and went through baggage check and security perfectly. While I was waiting for my flight to Chicago, the man next to me started talking to me. He entered the conversation sharing that he had just got engaged and he is getting married in Chicago in July. I smiled at the Lord. As I was getting on the plane, a family of five started praying behind me before they got on the plane. I joined in and said AMEN! I was talking to them and right behind them was a girl that I knew by the name of Ali Berres from Chicago who I hadn’t seen for almost three years. I praised the Lord and sat next to her and talked to her for four hours about my princess and my plans to come rescue her. The Lord blessed me over and over with open doors.

I arrived in Chicago at 6:40 and Tim McKenna Jr. picked me up. He told the family that he was going to his girlfriend’s house to cover his absence. In the mean time, Mr. McKenna had told the family that they were all getting dressed up to go to his brother’s house for dessert. Erin didn’t really want to go because she was upset that her man had ignored her all day.

Well, Timothy and I strolled up to the McKenna house and I asked him to stop so that we could pray. I invited the Lord into the entire process and asked him to be in everything that I was about to do because this relationship would always be about Him first. Tim joined me and we went up to the house. I shot out of the car into 25 degree weather and covertly ran down and around the house to the basement. Mr. McKenna was sitting in his office as planned and I came in and he said, “Hello, man of God” and embraced me as a son. I had given the DVD that I made to Tim Jr. and I hid down in the basement.

It was now game time and Mr. McKenna went upstairs and got the DVD. He told the family that he just downloaded something from Chad and he wanted the whole family to see it. He rounded the family up and began the video. Through modern technology on our blackberry’s Mr. McKenna and I were on point with everything. It began and the countdown was 13 minutes and 9 seconds.

I sat down in the basement as the family roared with laughter upstairs. My heart began to beat fast as I lifted my hands in the air to my King Jesus Christ and thanked him for this opportunity.

Near the end of the video, I go into a story about how Erin and I talked about diamonds. I asked her how big a diamond she wanted and not really knowing much about diamonds she said 8 carats. So in the video I end it with me getting on my knee and reaching behind my chair and grabbing 8 carrots wrapped in a bow.

As the video came to an end the credits rolled and stated Cousin Eddie played by Chad Mast, Chad Mast played by Chad Mast, and the best part of the movie is, Drum roll please, LOOK TO YOUR LEFT.

My heart beat faster as I turned the corner into the living room and Erin said, “No, you have to be kidding me.” The family rose to their feet as I invited Jesus into the room and claimed that this was who I was, that family was so important to me and that I wanted this to be a pillar in who we are for the rest of our lives. I got down on my knee before the woman of my dreams and told her that I wanted to spend the rest of my life with her and that from the first time I saw her I knew she was for me. I took out the ring and asked her to marry me. We embraced as the tears began to flow.

After many minute of crying and hugging each other, the family came back into the room. Tim and Nancy McKenna so graciously set up a beautiful candle lit dinner especially for us. We stared deep into each others eyes and praised the Lord.