I am not that big on surprises. I don’t like being left in the dark or not knowing what is going on. You might say that is my controlling personality. (I come by it honestly) One of my sisters favorite stories of me as a child is when I knocked on her door (I really wanted in to hang out with her friends and She kept telling me no) I lowered my voice, as low as 6 year old can go, and Proceeded to say that it was JR (my oldest brother) in hopes that I would be allowed in the room; all that to say I don’t like being left in the dark. So these past few weeks have been torture on meJ.
Gary has told me time and time again that he wanted to marry me and when he asks me it will be perfect. Man oh man! Patience has never been mine! I tried hard to be patient; it took all my will power to be patient. I can’t say I was perfectly patient because I was not. I tried hard to pull information out of mutual friends but they plead ignorant on the whole thing! And I believed them!
Over a month ago I saw a ring in a shop and I couldn’t stop thinking about it so I showed my friend Lorna the ring to get her opinion on it. She loved it. She told Gary about it but He didn’t seem to be concerned that it was the only one of its kind. I thought maybe he had other plans. Then one afternoon at his parents, Gary called Lorna about an “assignment” he was working on and asked her if she could get that “book” they were discussing the other day for him. I light bulb went off in my head Lorna is not in Gary’s class why are they discussing an assignment? Later that week when I went back to the store I noticed the ring was gone! I was sad, not even thinking that Gary was the one that bought it. I told Lorna that the ring was gone and she just said I am sorry. I asked her about the “book” and she played it off so well, she just said she was helping Gary with an assignment he was working on. I believed her.
Two Sunday’s ago Gary told me he needed to speak to Mark (the pastor) privately after Sunday evening Church. I thought they would go into Marks Office at his house and Sam and I would chat and get the kids in bed. I was clueless of what the true meaning of meeting meant. Mark and Sam have Skype so Gary really wanted to Skype with me dad and ask for my hand. When we walked into the house Mark said that Skype is set up (at that moment I knew the point of the meeting). I slowly made my way to the back of the house and helped Sam get the kids to bed While Gary talked to my family.
Even though I knew Gary had asked my dad for my hand, I still did not expect anything anytime soon. I thought he would wait until after the Churches quarterly meeting where they would be voting to bring him on staff at the church.
On Thanksgiving Gary asked me if we wanted to hang out one on one on Friday or hang out with his brother and sister-in-law. As much as I love his brother and sister-in-law I really wanted to hang out with Gary alone, so after I got up to Kraaifontein around 6 on Friday after kids club and we headed to this beautiful park that we went to a couple of weeks ago. It was a very hot day so both Gary and I were in T-shirts; I put jean on, because evenings can get cool, but Gary still had shorts on. We went to the Park found a perfect little spot near the dam and started reading through a chapter in a book we have been reading. All of the sudden the wind started blowing and it got cold fast. I was shivering. Gary said let me make sure I have my wallet and we can go get something to eat. He “had his wallet” and we got up to go, but he only moved to his knees. I was questioning what in the world was he doing. I wanted to fold up the blanket so we could go, it was cold. Then all of the sudden was only sitting on one knee and he had a ring in his hands, MY ring! He proceeded to ask me to be his wife! I of course said “YES” (Repeatedly).
I was clueless! I might not like being in the dark of things. But I do have to say the end results are always better. I am glad I was clueless even though it was tough to be patient! SO I am very thankful this season that God has brought Gary into my life. I have been praying for years that if God so deemed to provide a husband for me it would be someone who loved this continent as much as I do, and that we could serve God better together then separate. God has provided for me as he always has and always will. We serve a might God and I give him the praise.
