Our Love Story Part 5

Part 1 of the story - go here

Part 2 of the story - go here
Part 3 of the story - go here

Part 4 of the story - go here

Part 5 of the story - go here

Part 6 of the story - go here

He called. And Sam and I traveled together to go and meet my parents so my dad could meet him face to face. He was SOOOO nervous. I have no idea what happened even now during those meetings between my dad and Sam. But on the ride home Sam asked me "Would you do courtship with me?" And I gave an incredibly happy "YES!" 

Things were shy at first and somewhat uncertain but we got to know each other more and more every time we got together. We wrote little notes and emails and he wrote poems and silly things to me. He even wrote a couple of songs and played them on his guitar for me. I baked him cookies and left him little things. We went to Spring Banquet together. We even had our college graduation party together! We made a couple of commitments for our relationship. The first was that we would not kiss until we were engaged. The second was more on my side because it was important to me. I told him that I would not say the words "I Love You" until I knew that he was the one I was committed to marrying. 

We had been dating for about six weeks when all of a sudden I got a text message from Sam while he was in his classes. I thought that was a little strange and when I read it, my heart completely dropped. It read: "I think we should take a couple of days off and think about this." Which in my opinion meant - He couldn't be with me. What was he DOING? I prayed and prayed and prayed and I told God, "I have been here before with this man. Why does he keep DOING THIS TO ME?" I can't keep putting my heart out there and letting it get hurt. But this still small voice came to me and said "Wait on me." So I waited and waited TWO WHOLE HOURS. Then I got another text message that read "I'm so sorry sweetheart, I don't know what I was thinking, forgive me?" I read those words and I was amazed and completely relieved! I don't really know exactly what was going on in his mind at that time but I do know that from that point on he was completely committed and he said the words "I Love You" shortly after that day. 

Because he had placed a little bit of doubt in my mind, I couldn't say the words when he said them. I was too scared that he would leave me. I wanted the first time I said them to be to the man I was going to marry and with him, I wasn't sure if he would marry me. 

One night after going out together, I dropped him off at his apartment and we stood in the parking lot talking and all of a sudden for no reason at all I knew I wanted to say it. I knew that I could say it because it was real. I wanted to say "I Love You." I was in love with this man. I wanted to marry him. I wanted to spend the rest of my life with this man. If he left, it would break my heart. But if he did leave and I never told him how I truly felt? That would break my heart more. Out of the blue I said the words, "I Love You, Sam." He looked at me surprised and then he gave me the sweetest hug I can remember. 

Three weeks later he came to my home to ask my dad if he could marry me and my dad said yes. Sam had told me though that he was disappointed though because he didn't have enough money for the ring yet. So after he asked my dad for permission he said he had something he wanted to give me - a pre-engagement kit. So he took me to Red Rock State Park - one of our favorite places to go on dates and gave me my kit. Since we had decided to not kiss until our engagement there were a lot of things related to that! He gave me a MASSIVE fakey ring to "fool" everyone so they would know I was taken. He gave me Starburst to practice unwrapping with my tongue (which I can do quite well! If you're confused, they say that if you can do that, you're a good kisser). He gave me chapstick to make my lips nice and soft and gum to make my breath fresh. 

The last thing in the pre-engagement kit was a song that he had written himself. He took the song "The Heart of Worship" and rewrote it to be "The Heart of Ann." The song was completely ridiculous and it had me crying tears of laughter because it was so silly. But then it got to the last verse and . . . 

To Be Continued. . . 

In HIS Grip,