After being awakened by my phone sending me text messages of friends comments to my updated status, paired with my extremely irritated and itchy sinuses from all the kicked-up dust in my room as I've been boxing up my belongings for my family's move on Friday, I thought it would be a good idea to sit down and write to you about my Fiance, Caleb Deiro, and about our love story authored by God.
If I had a pint of Ben and Jerry's Brownie Batter Ice Cream, I would so whip it out and let it provoke my creative-writing juices, but because the refrigerator is preparing for the move as well, I have resorted to a hot dog bun slathered with Nutella and a glass of raw cow milk (MoooooOOOOO).
:)
Love; An interesting word. I love my new shoes; I love Nutella; I love cows. Love is used frequently and with little passion or sincerity nowadays. One late March evening, I knew love, without hearing the words "I love you."
Lot's of times actions say more than words do. Words can be blatted off to ease tense situations or make people feel good, but when one's life actions prove the words that their heart has not verbalized, well, that's truly a beautiful thing to behold.
So, what actions constituted my understanding of love? Let me take you back to that late March Sunday night.
Caleb invited me to come over to his house to practice some worship songs. I play worship for our church high school youth group, and often times, Caleb would accompany me on his Ukulele, but his main ministry is teaching. We had been working alongside each other in the youth group for a handful of months by then, so coming over to practice some songs wasn't foreign at all. Plus, I had know Caleb for two years already, established a friendship, and enjoyed hanging out with him. Yes, I knew that he enjoyed me, possibly that he had affections for me, but I was just good with ignoring that and keeping our status as friendship and youth group volunteers, but not much more.
So over to his house I went, set up my keyboard, and began to jam. I really can't recall many of the songs that we played, I just know that toward the end of our session, I was on one side of the room and he was on the other. It was getting time for me to leave, so we stopped playing. Then this is where it all came down. Caleb, being brave and honest, told me of his thoughts toward me. He told me that he liked me and he desired to get to know me more, take me out on some dates, and for me to get to know him more (I'm sure if you ask him to recall the conversation, he would give you the exact verbiage, but I can just remember the jest of it all) So, he asked me, "What do you think?" And what I thought was, "Ok, I'll pray about it. I don't know. I guess I would like to go out on some dates. I'll pray about it." Then, I just remember Caleb taking a deep breath and laying down on the ground; He was pretty much emotionally drained and his bravery to completely bear his heart with me would later bring a revelation to my heart upon my coming home. So, after some more minutes of silence, and deep breaths, I packed up my keyboard and headed home.
I parked my car, but remained sitting in the drivers seat to soak in the evenings events. My mind raced to two years previously when I had first met Caleb, hung out, exchanged life stories, and grew our friendship. Back then, I would show up to church early to make specialty coffee drinks and give out baked goods, and Caleb always kept me company as I would set up a serve people. I would also walk or bike ride over to his grandparents place where he lived, sit down in his kitchen, eat some sticky rice and talk. I guess I should mention that back then, he and I had a one week long relationship as "more than friends" that I ended. So, I guess we had history together.
So all these past memories flipped through my mind in photo album like format and then the revelation hit; Caleb loved me and the proof was his patience, through the years, and in the bleakest of circumstances when he couldn't see how his love would be returned.
This must be noted:
Christ Jesus; He fully gave his love to a world of people in which had the complete choice to accept or decline. He demonstrated His love, through His actions by His obedience to death on the cross all for access to a union with the God who is love. Christ-like love has no comparison, yet God has set up the love that a man has for a woman in the covenant of marriage to be an example of the Love Christ has for his Bride, us, the church.
Ok, so three days went by, and our youth group called an emergency meeting on Wednesday night after church service. Some of the high schoolers needed to express their thoughts toward the leadership. As we were all assembled in a back room, a young woman who is very tenacious, and whose name will remain anonymous, pointed out that the only reason she felt Caleb and I were in youth ministry leadership was because we wanted to be together! Right then my body went into shock as I tried not to make eye contact with Caleb who was across the table. The meeting ended, everyone left the room except Caleb and me, and once again, Caleb was on the floor taking deep breaths. I was thinking to myself, "This girl didn't know what went down on Sunday night! Why was this happening?" After Caleb and I exchanged some words, the youth overseer entered the room and told Caleb and I that if the Lord was putting us together, he would be totally fine if we went on "youth group leadership meetings" (a.k.a., dates) together. He was all for Caleb and I being an item!
Weeks progressed, and it wasn't the easiest. I sought the Lord God on what He thought of all this. I took a solid ten days of reading through John 13-16. God kept reminding me of what love looks like (John 13) and that what the Spirit speaks, He speaks with the authority from God and that He will guide us into all truth (John 16:14 and 15). God talked to me about abiding in Him and bearing much fruit. God told me that He did some drastic pruning on me, and it was time to let the fruit be produced in this area on my life, which practically meant entering into a relationship with Caleb.
It was April 12th that Caleb and I started our courtship.
Fast forward now to July 16th, 2011. Caleb took me on a little outing to Palisades park with the intention of what I thought was just to spend time together on our Saturday. He had a plan though! In the perfect location between two protruding rocks and a creek flowing behind us, Caleb knelt down on one knee and asked me to be his wife. I said yes.
As we sat on the rocks that night, with the fireflies giving us a show that only God could arrange, we recalled the events, emotions, fears and victories of our past two and a half years of knowing each other. Tears began to flood my eyes because of the love from my Heavenly Father and the love from my betrothed Husband.
Girls, may I speak with you now? Love is patient. Don't try to make it happen. God desires your obedience over sacrifice (1 Sam. 15:22 & 23). Some of the hardest issues I have had to deal with was the enemy telling me lies that I was making another mistake with Caleb, just like all those guys in the past that I either like or had a relationship with. God will restore you, but I would not have you go through the same fears of failure as I did. God will author your Love Story- in fact, He already has. Love is patient, so make your requests known to your Heavenly Daddy, take time to listen to His answers, and trust Him.
Men, I would like to direct some words to you too. Godly character is the most attractive character to a godly woman. Keep seeking God, talking with Him daily and hearing from Him. As you walk in His will, you will find your mate walking alongside of you and you will be stoked at who she is.
Parents, it is to your advantage to keep open talks with your children about who they like or what relationship they are in. As much as it may drive a wedge for you to say that your child cannot date a person that they really like, it is for their best. Your children will appreciate and love you for watching out for them. Please, talk openly with them, on the foot of their bed right before they go to sleep. Ask them about what is making their heart beat, pray for their spouses with them, and entrust them into the Father's hands.
I guess this note was quite long. My Nutella sandwich is long gone, and my mind is full of this account of the faithfulness of my Creator. Even in the hard times, God is faithful. Even when we don't understand, God is faithful. Even when we are faithless, God remains faithful because He cannot deny Himself (2 Tim. 2:13) .
"You did not choose Me, but I chose you and appointed you that you should go and bear fruit, and that your fruit should remain, that whatever you ask the Father in My name, He may give you. These things I command you, that you love one another." John 15:16 & 17
"Let us be glad and rejoice and give Him glory, for the marriage of the Lamb has come, and His wife has made herself ready." And to her it was granted to be arrayed in fine linen, clean and bright, for the fine linen is the righteous acts of the saints. Then he said to me, "Write: 'Blessed [are] those who are called to the marriage supper of the Lamb!' " And he said to me, "These are the true sayings of God." Rev. 19:1-9
A letter from a Bride in Waiting.
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