Our story began with Lynn
viewing my profile, and then I viewed hers. After reading her profile I could
tell that she was passionate about teaching and that she truly loved children
and had such a caring heart that I was amazed. It's awesome to see someone who
loves teaching and caring for others and truly enjoys it and is so happy about
it. I teach 5th grade CCD, and I share in that same joy, and I saw all that in
her. So I had to emote her and tell her that I thought her profile was awesome
and how I think it is so cool that she is a teacher. We emoted and wrote a few
letters back and forth, and before my very eyes, I got a glimpse of her heart.
Even before the first moment we chatted or talked on the
phone I was already thinking, "wow, how awesome it must be to be loved by
a heart like hers." We used to stay up late at night chatting on CM,
sometimes even falling asleep while chatting. I didn't care as I wanted to give
up sleep just to get to know her. She gets joy out of everything, and is such a
positive person, not angry at all, and that is awesome. We have a lot in
common, and I think had like five dates planned out before we even talked on
the phone. After a few weeks, we exchanged phone numbers and were going to call
each other on a Sunday. I was nervous and overjoyed at the same time, and then
I called her and heard her beautiful voice and we talked and laughed for hours,
until our batteries ran out. We met for the first time in early December. As I
was driving to meet her, my heart was pounding, I had this feeling that I
was about to meet my future wife!
For the longest time I thought that after studying the Theology of the Body, I
had learned so much theology and raised my standard so high that I would never
find a girl to meet that standard, but Lynn
just blew the bar away. She lives it naturally. It was truly amazing, for the
first time in years I found my heart and mind in complete agreement. It was as
if God was telling me to go for it, with no reservation. I had prayed so long
to be in a relationship where I wasn't plagued with reservations and uneasiness
that would overshadow the relationship, but there I was enjoying a relationship
the way God meant it to be. She brings up so much feeling in me like I want to
re-live all my favorite moments with her just because she makes everything so
much better. One of the best aspects of our relationship is that she is
very stable and independent and chose to love me for me, not because of what I
have to offer her. I honestly think that if we were in a trailer park, she
would still be happy because she loves me for me, and I love her for her.
We spent most of the Christmas season together and I truly began to realize the
anticipation of the season. When she left back to her apartment, I anticipated
the next time I would see her and hug her. I applied that anticipation toward
the coming of baby Jesus at Christmas, and truly realized the symbolism of
Advent. We spend New Year's Eve together and when the ball dropped in New York, we shared our
first kiss together. And then we prayed the most heart-felt Rosary I've ever
prayed, moved to tears in knowing that this was gong to be the best year of my
life and that she was the one. The first time we told each other that we loved
one another was in New Mexico
over Easter.
We had walked a pilgrimage together and consecrated our
relationship to the guidance of Our Lady of Guadalupe. We had a prayer that we
prayed for each other every night. From the pilgrimage I had a blister on my
foot that got infected, and she cared for me. And I realized that I was being
loved by that heart. With tears in my eyes from love, I told her that I loved
her with all my heart, and had loved her even before we had met. Teary-eyed
with a big smile on her face she told me she had loved me for a long time even
before we met. I've never been so happy in my life.
One of the best aspects of our relationship is that we would always support each
other pursuing our passions. The ministry is a huge aspect of my life, at work,
through the church and personally through friends and get-togethers, and Lynn is such a help to me.
I have a friend who went to Iraq,
and was getting involved in Ranger Rosary ministry, and Lynn makes jewelry, and totally lit up at the
idea of having Rosary making parties. So we would invite people over and make
Rosaries together. We had so much fun ministering to each other and every one
there, and it was such a blessing to see Lynn
apply one of her passions (jewelry making) to the ministry. I love to see her
blessing others with her heart, and happiness, and furthering the church and
serving its members through the ministry. I knew we would share in the ministry
for the rest of our lives, and I couldn't wait to minister in light of her
passion, love and joy.
I bought a ring and had everything all planned out. I talked to her parents and
with tears in my eyes I told them how much I loved her and wanted to marry her
and love her for the rest of my life. They were overjoyed to hear it, and I
showed them the ring and with their blessing I was going to ask her. First I
was going to take her to mass at the National Shrine, then out to dinner and
finally beside the lights of the fountain at the World War II Memorial, and
under the shine of the Washington
Monument, I was going to
ask her to be my wife. It didn't quite work out that way. I had to re-schedule
a finger surgery three weeks later, the day before I had planned on asking her.
But I'm a positive person and naively thought I would be fine by the next day.
So that Saturday rolls around, and Lynn
is taking care of me, and I'm pretty much sleeping most of the day, but I wake
up and even though I was kind of swaying as I was trying to stand still, I
suggested going to the National Shrine for Mass. I had the ring for a week and
I wanted to give it to her so bad that I just couldn't wait any longer.
She must have thought I was delirious because I was in no shape to travel. Somehow
I got ready, and we got in her car and went to Mass. During Mass my fingers
were hurting, my head was swimming and my stomach was turning from the
anticipation, but I was extremely happy. When Mass ended we walked outside and
it looked like it was going to rain, and it would have been bad to get my
finger's wet and propose to her in the pouring rain, which I would have done,
but we had the National Shrine all to ourselves. In the Our Lady of Guadalupe
chapel, we prayed a Rosary and I got down on one knee and held her hand saying
that I knew how Adam had felt in the garden, in solidarity with God, but
feeling alone in the world, unable to give himself completely to another. God
seeing this, made Eve from one of his ribs, and when Adam awoke, he saw Eve and
was amazed because he realized that finally there is someone that he can
completely give himself to and love fully for the rest of his life. I told her
that is the way I felt when I first saw her, and every time since then. I asked
her to be wife and with tears in her eyes, and a hug and smile she said yes. Even
though I had looked at the ring for a week, at least ten minutes a day in all
sorts of light, it truly lit up like I'd never seen before, it was as though it
was finally where it was meant to be and shining with happiness. We are planning
to be married in St. Mary's county
June of next year. I can't
wait for the next year of growing in love together, and I truly can't wait to
give of myself and all I have completely to her, and feel her reciprocating
that love for the rest of our lives.
Miracles do happen - Lynn and I getting
married is living proof!
