I’m Engaged (The Story of)
On the day it happened, I wanted to go around and just tell every stranger I saw, but Sarah would be way too embarrassed! I haven’t written much about her or anything else in the last couple months, but I knew in my mind I was saying to myself that one of these days I’m going to write a whole lot about it at once, so let me tell you about a wonderful thing, an encouraging story of a true blessing in my life: Sarah. I could tell a whole lot, and probably will over a long enough period of time, but for now I will start with the end first:
I am engaged to the beautiful Sarah!
It happened yesterday, Friday, September the 8th, 2006, after 5 months of courting and 8 months of knowing each other. It’s sudden and fast compared to some, and compared to others it’s long and gradual, really. I don’t know who could actually call it short and sudden though, because it’s been clear since the start of our relationship and courting that our intention was for marriage leading to holiness. Nobody should be taken by surprise by this, and we certainly saw it coming and talked about it long before. In fact, Sarah and I really don’t understand some of our friends that we have heard about where the girl is left in doubt as to whether or not she will be proposed to and the guy is just as uncertain! We hear about this and we’re puzzled. Why wouldn’t something so important be talked about, and if it’s not talked about or prayed about, why would the relationship exist in the first place? We believe people should only come together in a relationship if marriage for holiness and ministry is the expressed goal.
Sarah and I met as a result of a Christian fellowship group we were both part of at college and through a group we were both members of online. I created an interest group for Reformed Believers on a website for our school and Sarah was one of the 10 or 12 people who joined it. I, of course, extended a friendly hello to a great new Reformed sister and called her up over the Christmas holiday–partly to welcome her, and partly just because I was kind of bored and wanted to talk to someone new and fun, and I didn’t want to do the impersonal email message to say hello. Even though she already knew me from my presence at the fellowship group, she was shy and nervous and even a little frightened. We talked for a long time though, and talking about ministry and theology really made it seem more natural. So we decided to meet, and set the place as the basketball game that week. (I’ve got to go now, but I’m going to publish this much and come back to it later!)
**Edit: please visit Courtship Blog for an upcoming blog that tells the story of Sarah and Blake!
