When your Facebook status skips from “single” to “engaged” in a day, it raises a lot of questions. When it happens and you’re leaving the country for the World Race on Tuesday, it raises even more! If you know me, and if you know my fiancé, you know how God’s been working at weaving our stories together for the past 2 years. If you don’t, well, where do I begin?
Devin and I met while ministering together at church and dated seriously for 8 months last year. We believed that God was pointing us towards marriage; but, last fall, we both knew that God was telling us that we needed to break up. We thought that it was possible that God would eventually bring us back together; but, the only thing that was clear was that we each needed to pursue God separately without any expectations for our future. It was painful, confusing, and challenging, especially because we were still ministering together; but, God faithfully worked out the hard things and as the year went by, we progressed from awkwardly avoiding each other to being able to maintain a friendship.
Then, at the end of last month, after I came home from Training Camp, God started speaking to me about Devin. I’ll spare you all the details here, but, the shortest story is that God brought me to a place where I believed that it was God’s will for me to marry Devin once the race was over, and it was okay press in and pray specifically for that to happen. But, there was one thing I begged God to do: God, if that’s not what you want, and I’m getting this all wrong, could you let me know so I don’t spend a year praying for this?
Six hours later, Devin asked me out for coffee. And, as we went for a walk afterwards, he told me that he loved me, and he knew that I was the one that God had for him… but he also knew that God was calling for me to go on the race and for him to finish school, and neither of us would be ready for each other if we didn’t follow God’s guidance right now.
I guess God really DID want me to pray for our relationship after the race!
So, for the past month we’ve been spending time together, mostly with our families and friends. I thought that maybe he’d propose in August- August 2012, that is! So, I was shocked on Monday night when he asked me to marry him as I was being blessed at the House of Prayer before going on the race. Being able to say “yes” to my best friend was a blessing that I wasn’t expecting to receive that night, but I gladly accepted it!
As you pray for me on the race, I’d especially appreciate prayers for my discernment in maintaining and growing a long-distance relationship with Devin while I also develop friendships with my amazing squad and team on the race. God called me on the race to be closer to him and to live in community with the beautiful people around me, and I want to honor and respect all the relationships he’s graciously given me. I am a blessed woman.
Next time I blog, I will probably be in the Philippines! I will be ministering with Team Sisterhood and Team S.O.L.I.D. at Kids International Ministries in Malaybalay on the island of Mindanao. You can visit the organization’s website here: kidsim.org.
Finally, if you’d like to see the proposal, Devin starts around minute 7 in the video below… wow! =D
