Shannon here: Remember to leave a comment by July 23, 8:00 PM Central for a chance to win a copy of Kimberly’s book, Stories from the Well or a glass fused paperweight Kimberly made. Here’s Kimberly:
Stories from the Well
The proposal
Kary and I knew from the beginning that God was doing something special. When I’d talked to him the first time on the phone, I wanted to jump up and down and call all my friends and say, “I’ve met the guy! I’ve met the guy!” Except I hadn’t. Yet. But everything within me knew he was the guy. Instead of filling in a check list of the qualities I wanted in a mate, God was showing me he was the guy and because he was the guy I’d prayed for, he fit the list. It was a paradigm shift.
There was only one small problem. I had, what I like to call, a colorful marital history. I was a little like the Runaway Bride only I left after the wedding. God had healed some issues from my past and I knew that with God, I was ready to have the marriage dreams are made of. I’d been rejected by a man because of my past so I was reluctant to tell Kary the whole story. I bargained with God. “Okay, God. Make him fall madly in love with me where he can’t live without me and then I’ll tell him!”
A week later, Kary got very serious and said he had something to tell me. He asked me how I felt about a man with a heart condition. Well, I am in the medical profession so my first reaction was, “What kind of heart condition?” Not very girl-of-your-dreams like, so I shelved the medical person and listened to his story. He had a heart valve problem and someday might need surgery. He’d been rejected by his ex-wife when he found out so he worried about my reaction. I told him it didn’t matter. Life is uncertain and we’d cross that bridge when it came.
He was relieved because he’d dreaded telling me. “I’m so glad we don’t have any secrets between us,” he said with a smile.
Time stopped. I’d been praying for an opening to tell him and God had opened the door but I didn’t want to go through it. I felt God saying, “If you don’t tell him now, you never will.” I took a deep breath and choked out my past and how God had healed it. I waited for the rejection but instead, this wonderful godly guy said, “It doesn’t matter how you got here, Honey. What matters is that you are here.”
Swoon! God’s grace in action and so romantic. He told me he loved me and we began discussing a future.
He planned to propose at the Chinese restaurant where we had our first date. He called them to make arrangements for flowers and to have the proposal in a fortune cookie. It took most of a box of fortune cookies to pry out the old fortune and put the proposal inside without breaking it, but finally Kary prepared a perfect cookie.
Only one problem. The night of the proposal when he went to the restaurant before picking me up, they were closed. The plans lost a little something in the translation from English to Chinese! So we went out for pizza and somehow, a fortune cookie at Pizza Hut just isn’t the same, so he went to plan B. He’d propose at the gazebo in the park where we planned to marry.
It was cold and I didn’t have a coat. Kary never wears one, but I saw his in the back seat. When we got out of the car, I said, “Can I borrow your coat?” and reached for it.
“No!” he said. “I’m cold. I’m going to wear it!” and snatched it from me!
Wow! What happened to chivalry? I didn’t know the ring and roses were hidden in the coat. Even though we were talking about getting married, until he knelt before me in the Gazebo, I didn’t realize what was happening. Of course I said yes, only it was more like “Yes! Yes! Yes!” In fact, I was so excited, you might have heard me.
Come back July 23 for the final installment of Kimberly’s story.
Swoon is right! Can’t wait to read the next installment!
Ah man! I can’t wait for the 23rd to find out how this sweet story ends. Thank you for sharing.
WOW! Can’t wait to read the rest of the story. Hope i win a copy. Of I won’t because i never win a thing. But i love it…
I’m glad you walked through the door God provided for you (and you asked for) even though it was difficult. Praying more of us do the same. Blessings!
Thanks, everyone for your fun, encouraging words. I wanted to tell our story because it really is a great story, but also because my life’s message is that no one is beyond the grace of God. There is no reason that I should be so blessed…..except God’s grace and mercy. All the mistakes I made were deserving of wrath, my sins deserving of death, but instead, God showed mercy. And not just mercy….not just a niggling, barely getting by, worm type of life–He poured out blessings upon blessings and gave me my heart’s desire! God is good. And my marriage is evidence that no one is beyond His love.
This is the first installment I have read, such fun and I feel like I know you a little better. God is GOOD!!
Sweet Sister.. I have heard your story before, but it is like a good book that begs to be read again. Love you girl! Tell me a story please!