Our Story - Part 3

(if you want to read the rest start at part 1)

The night that we became Christians, Jk, left the house and did not say one word to us about our living situation.  He began meeting weekly with John and teaching him how to study the Bible.  I got hooked up in a Bible study as well.  It was a little over a month later that John and I really became convicted about our living situation.  So I found a roommate for the spring semester (quarters then) and John lived on JK's couch for about a month until he could move into the dorms.  (we later ask JK and Tammy why they never challenged us to move out and they said they knew the Holy Spirit would do it in time and that He would be a true conviction) That summer, John went to SBP and I stayed behind for OT school and meet one dear friend that taught me all I know about marriage and parenting - Emily Teague.  I wouldn't have traded that summer for a 1000's SBP's.  Late fall of 1998, John and I decided it was time to break off our engagement.  It wasn't an issue of our feelings for each other quite as much as it was about knowing if this was God's will or ours for us to be married.  It was hard because our lives were completely interconnected.  We still spent time together and kinda acted like we were together until the first week of SBP 1999.  This was the week that John decided that it was time for us to not spend any time together.  We had to really sort this out and it was so hard.  So the summer was spent completely apart doing our own thing.  I stayed after SBP to babysit and John left and spent a week at my parents river house alone.  He said he really needed to be with the Lord and decided if God's will was for us to be together or if it was just what we had known for so long.

Often when I share this story I tell people that I felt like Abraham walking up the mountain to slay Issac.  God had told me to lay this relationship on the alter.  For me it was not a question of my feeling for John - I loved him and had always loved him even in those silly teen years it was real.  So I chose to obey God because I believed His word to be true.  Jer. 29:11 became my sustenance during this time - it kept me going.  I could not see that John was not the best for me but God gave me the faith to believe that He had my very best in store and that He would give it to me if I chose to trust Him and surrender my wants and desires.  This was probably one of the hardest 3 months of my life. (Jill do you remember :))  

About a month after school started, John ask me to go to lunch with him on a Wednesday.  I had a terrible sinus infection but I was not about to pass up time with him.  (I had told the Lord that I wanted to marry John and that I would trust him to show John otherwise and close the door if it were not the best.  I knew I couldn't trust my emotions so I ask the Lord to slam it shut if it needed to be.)  So we went to lunch and talked about our summers.  After lunch we went to the park near South and sat by the lake and we continued talking about our summers for 2 hours.  It was great because, he was my best friend and I hadn't talked to him all summer.  After that talk, he told me that he felt like God had given him a solid answer about our future and he pulled out my ring and ask me to marry him again.  I was completely shocked - we had been sitting there for 2 hours!!!!  Of course I said yes and bust into tears.  God gave him back to me and I feel completely blessed!!!