The First Time I Saw Him...

It has been fun to think back on the past few months and see what all God has done! To see His hand along this journey is overwhelming at times. I have never felt the love and peace of our Father like I have in the past few months. In the mist of all the changes and adjustments, and those still yet to come, I can feel God's mighty hand of protection over us. His Spirit leads and guides us as we walk.  

In just a few short months there are already so many great memories! I will never forget the feeling of driving to Omaha to meet Nathaniel in person for the first time. With today's technology we were able to Skype everyday for the two weeks leading up to this day but there was still an excitement that words can not describe. I remember thinking to myself, "This is really happening! You are going to Omaha to meet this man! This is crazy!" But the smile on my face and the feeling of my heart about to jump out of my chest allowed me to keep going. There was something about this man that was different from any other. His love and devotion to the Lord shines, captivating me from day one. As I drove I tried to play it out in my head what seeing him for the first time would be like. As I pulled up the airport he was sitting outside waiting. I saw him and my heart skipped a beat (or two or three) I got out of the car to say hi and give him a hug. I have to admit that in the excitement of seeing him, I may have froze a little and wasn't sure what to do. But we laugh about it now holding that memory deep in our hearts. After we got his things in the car we set off to find a place to eat. Where else would you go on your first date other then to Buffalo Wild Wings! One of my favorites! Right away there was something that caught me off guard. Those who know me know that I am not one to be able to look people in the eye for long periods of time. As we sat there waiting for our food I found myself looking in his eyes and not wanting to look away. At one point I poked him saying, "You are really here! Your not just a computer screen." Conversation was easy. It was like we had known each other for a long time. Here he was in Omaha NE at Buffalo Wild Wings what more could a girl want! 

After lunch we made our way to the zoo not before stopping at the hotel for Nathaniel to get checked in. We had a great time walking around the zoo looking at all the animals. My favorite part of the zoo is the penguins. I kept asking if we could go to look at the penguins and he kept telling me no. Finally after sitting in front of the polar bears for a while he agreed to go to the penguins. As we made our way there we stopped to look at the cheetahs. We soon realized that there were no cheetahs to look at yet continued to stand there for a while. We began to talk about what God had done in bringing the two of us together. He asked me what I thought about it all and my thoughts about the boys, about serving in ministry together and the different opportunities put before us. Several people came up to see what we were looking at only to get there and say, "Oh, there is nothing here" as they turned around and walked away, probably wondering what we were still standing there for. We talked for almost an hour, looking at cheetahs that weren't there. Then Nathaniel turned and looked at me saying, "I bought you something. I bought you a promise ring!" Then after a short pause and a caring look on his face he said, "Is that okay?" I looked at him with a smile on my face replying, "I think that's okay. Yeah, that's okay!" He explained to me that this was a sign from him saying that he was committed to seeing this relationship through to marriage. As I excepted it from him I said the same thing back. I was going to wear the ring on my right hand at first (as I needed to talk to some family members and key people at the church first) but it would not fit. It only fit on the ring finger of my left hand! It was then that I found out the reason for needing to check in to the hotel first. He had ordered the ring and it wasn't going to make it to Tennessee in time. After talking with them they said they could have the ring shipped to the hotel in Omaha. He said that he knew if it was there on time he was suppose to give it to me. He place the ring on my finger giving me a hug and kiss! I told Nathaniel later for me to let him kiss me was a big deal. In all of my 26 years of life I had never kissed a guy. So for me to allow that to happen was huge. I can see how God has preserved me in that way over the years. Sure there were times when I could have kissed a guy and for what ever reason I had not allowed it to happen making this moment so much more special. After one more kiss and a big smile on my face I looked up at him and said, "Now can we go look at the penguins!" We both laughed as he said, "Yes, now we can go see the penguins." 

The rest of the day was perfect just enjoying each other's company. After dropping him off at the hotel my mind and heart were racing as I drove to a friends house for the night. In a state of shock I began to realize that my life was about to change! Right away after walking into my friends house she saw the ring and excitement filled her voice and we stayed up into the late night hours talking. 

We spent Saturday talking and hanging out. My heart was beaming as I began to get to know this man even more. As we were driving to the book store he saw some airplanes flying over head. He rolled down his window so he could hear the sound of the engines. We found the little airport and watched the planes as they landed. Nathaniel is a pilot himself. It was fun to watch the look on his face and listen to him explain exactly what they were doing. After lunch at Culver's and a walk around the lake it was time to take him back to the airport. It was hard to say good buy. As he walked away I was over come with emotion. Tears streamed down my face, but they were tears of joy. I watched him and said to myself, "There goes my Marine! He's mine!" Then as I drove out of the parking garage it hit me, I was falling in love with a Marine. He had my heart then and there! 

I spent the drive home telling my parents all about the weekend. Having only told them about Nathaniel a couple of days before there was excitement in their voice. I knew they might have some concerns and think that I was a little crazy but I also knew that my parents trusted me and would support me in my decision as they always have. They have prayed, as well as many other friends and family, for God to bring a wonderful man into my life. Seeing God now answer those prayers has been overwhelming at times. (in my first post i explained in my letter a phone call with my aunt and a conversation with my mom.) God is faithful to fulfill the desires of our hearts when they are in line with His will and He does so at just the right moment!

Below is a picture we took at the zoo after he gave me the promise ring! 

This picture was taken during our Omaha trip as well.