It's a Sparkly!

Well dear reader, the day has finally come. After years of writing about relational angst and waiting on God, I can now tell you: I'M ENGAGED!!!

Sunday afternoon I drove home from the Quest Life Together retreat, my last responsibility as ministry leader. It had been a great weekend, but the entire time I had been excited for Sunday, because Jer told me that we were going "out on the town" and I had to "dress fancy" and that we had to be on time. This limited amount of information was enough to make me and everyone else wonder if perhaps this would be the day that he proposed. (Sandy was taking bets-Blake put $20 on Jer proposing. Not sure what the odds were.) But I kept reminding all of us, especially myself, that one should not place expectations on the date, because then there will be no disappointments. You know, of course, that I wanted to be proposed to, but I was also not making any demands on the evening.

So I drove home excited and hopeful but willing for it to be just a great night with Jer. I poured myself into my little black dress, slipped on my fabulous purple heels, and waited for him to arrive. He was going to show up at 4:15; at about five after I headed upstairs to take one last look at myself in the full-length mirror, just to make sure. On my way through the living room, I looked outside and saw a limo on my street. A smile crept over my face and my heart started to race just a tad-I knew that there was no way that limo was for anyone else. I came out on the deck and there was Jer, with a huge bouquet of roses and irises (my favorite) and a big smile.

After the flowers were put in water and I had given Jer his card and gift (a picture of us for his desk at work) we got into the limo. Champagne was served, and the driver told us she would take us on a 'scenic route' to our destination. Jer said that we were going to dinner and a show, which sounded fabulous to me. And then he pulled out a box of Godiva chocolates. We have a long history with Godiva chocolates and Godiva chocolate cheesecake, so this was very apropos. There was a poem on top-he's given me a poem every month-but the lid was slightly askew, so he took a minute to "fix the chocolates". As he sat there with the box partially hidden, I started to think, oh oh oh, there's a ring in the box! There's a ring in the box! But of course, I remained calm, waited for him to finish, read the poem (which I can't remember now, it was something by Shelley about love) and then opened the box. And there in the center was the most beautiful ring! I got a big smile, and looked into his wonderful eyes, and he simply said, "marry me."

And I, of course, said yes.

We didn't cry, we were too giddy and excited. He put the ring on my finger and kissed me and I was just overwhelemed with joy and happiness. Our scenic drive ended in front of Teatro Zinzanni, the fun and wacky dinner theatre. We enjoyed the show and the meal and the wine, and the limo picked us up afterwards and took us for a drive along Alki and up to the lookout on the top of West Seattle, where we enjoyed the view of the city and the promise of a long life together there. It was a perfect evening, a wonderful proposal. He spoiled me, surprised me, and gave me a great story to tell our kids.

I am, understandably, very excited. Overwhelmingly so. I don't know if I have come down to earth quite yet. But in the midst of this ecstatic moment, I have a deep peace and confidence that this was (and is) how it was meant to be. Meeting this wonderful man out of the blue, being instantly swept up in what my mom is now referring to as "my whirlwind romance", and finding the man who will love me for the rest of my days, a man I can give my heart to with no reservations.

As I reflect on all of this, my heart and mind are full of all the verses and promises that God has given me over the past few years, and how He has been true to all of those words He gave me. The Lord has done a new thing; He has made streams of living water flow in the wilderness. He has brought me back from being rejected and broken in spirit. He has turned my mourning into dancing and my sorrows into joy. He has been faithful and has blessed me beyond anything I could have possibly imagined. And so I will sing and praise His holy and mighty name.

I'm getting married! Hallelujah!