It started with a post on Facebook.
Just a simple post on a Sunday evening about a worship song that I have come to love called, “Oceans.” I had heard the song played at my church, and I was amazed at how incredible it was…so I decided to share it on my Facebook page for others to hear. I expected to get a handful of “likes” and that was all…but God had different plans.
Just before 10 p.m. I received a comment on my link, and immediately my heart began to speed up a tick as I took in Courtney’s picture…a deep breath left my lungs as her beauty shined forth before me and the glow of her smile illuminated Jesus in a way I had never seen before. A smile cracked my lips as I responded to her comment, and a few minutes later my smile became even bigger as a Facebook notification informed me that she had written me another comment. We began to share a handful of thoughts back and forth and each time I sent her a comment I found myself getting more excited to hear back from her. We both loved the song I had posted and it had impacted us in similar ways, so we had a lot to share…but it didn’t take us long to realize that we each had a lot more to say to each other beyond the song…and I was definitely dying to know more about, Courtney. And so our conversations did not end that night, instead they moved forward and have never stopped.
We talked about the everyday things of our lives, our jobs, likes and dislikes, families, friends, my kids, foods, books, movies, life in Texas and Kentucky. No matter the topic our conversations were fluid and easy, and we especially loved to talk about our love of God and music. Every night we both would stay up late typing away at our keyboards or phones as we began to learn more and more about each other. With each message and each passing day our interest in each other grew and so did our need to take our conversations beyond the computer screen.
I’ll never forget our first phone conversation and how nervous we both were for the other to hear our respective Kentucky and Texas accents….silly I know…but we both were honestly nervous about it…but in a matter of minutes we found ourselves comfortable and laughing…the sound of Courtney’s voice immediately put me at ease and in the coming days as we talked to each other more over the phone, I found myself becoming more and more drawn to her. Our conversations were deep and simple, funny and emotional, spiritual and engaging. One night I asked Courtney if she would ever want to pray with me and without hesitation she said yes; and from that night forth we have taken time everyday to pray with each other and engage God. Over time neither of us could deny the connection we shared and the deep bond in Christ we cultivated through prayer everyday. Our connection to each other on an emotional level was intense and amazing, and before long we both longed to see each other as we talked…and so our Skype conversations began with an online dinner date.
We both dressed up for the date, her in a beautiful dress and myself in a suit and tie. We both decided to make spaghetti so we were eating the same food and set up our phones in front of us so it was like we were sitting across from one another. We both were shy about eating in front of each other, lol…but we managed it and we were overwhelmed and grateful with how amazing our conversations flowed, how connected we felt, and how drawn to each other we obviously are.
It didn’t take long before we decided that we wanted another Skype date so
we chose to watch a movie together. So one Friday night we both rented, “Anchor Man 2” and watched each other at different times as we laughed and cracked up at the movie. Sometimes we would talk to each other about something that had just happened and other times we would smile and eat popcorn. After the movie we stayed up all night talking about anything and everything…my heart was so full and I knew without any doubt that I was starting to fall for, Courtney.
From there and everyday since we have Skyped and seen each other….never lacking for conversation and always excited.
Sometimes we would stay up late and one of us would crash before the other…
Day after day our connection and our feelings grew into love…the more we got to know each other the stronger our desire became to see one another as soon as possible, face to face. So with some planning and preparation we set a date for me to come to Kentucky and visit Courtney and her family, and last week I did that very thing. Boarding planes in Abilene and Dallas, I set out to see this amazing woman that had captured my heart.
As long as I live I’ll never forget the first time Courtney and I met face to face in the Lexington, Kentucky airport. As I walked down the stairs from the terminal I had landed at to baggage claim, Courtney stood waiting for me with her beautiful smile and contagious laugh. She wore a red shirt with dark pants and a grey coat; my heart immediately started to pound as we both embraced and tightly hugged each other, not for a second thinking about letting each other go. We both were shaking and slowly swaying back and forth…tears started to build in our eyes as we finally were seeing each other face to face for the first time…a moment we both had been waiting on for what seemed a very long time, was finally happening.
From there our next few days together were amazing and much too fast, but even in that short time we were able to know each other even deeper. Everything we felt during our email’s, text messages, phone calls, and Skype sessions, completely translated in our new face to face lives. Not only that, we were finally able to see in person all the little facial expressions, laughs, and mannerisms, in person that we had grown to love in each other during our time on Skype, phone conversations, and messages. We were also excited to finally be able to worship together in an awesome church and experience God’s presence side by side and hand in hand. It was such a beautiful experience. Some of you reading this now that keep up with Courtney and I on Facebook also know that we were able to play music together for the first time face to face. I’m not sure I was even ready for the way listening to, Courtney sing in person was going to move me. Almost immediately her voice commanded my attention and I was completely drawn in. Never before have I heard such a beautiful voice and I found myself honored and overwhelmed as we played songs back and forth and even sang a duet.
There was no awkwardness…there was no worry or disinterest. Instead the love that Courtney and I were building before we ever saw each other face to face, grew and intensified. But it wasn’t just evident to us; everyone around us could read it plainly on our faces when we were around each other, the depth of our feelings and the joy of our hearts.
As our time together began to dwindle away on our last day together we stayed up almost all night…holding each other and planning out our next visit. Our hearts were heavy and we were dreading my plane ride back to Texas, but also burning deep within both of our hearts was the knowledge that God had brought us together and that He has a plan for our lives that we are both so excited about…this is just the start. Even now, as I finish out typing this blog, Courtney and I’s commitment to each other is stronger than ever. Since I’ve been back in Texas we still talk, pray, message, and Skype, everyday like we always have…look, even tonight, we’re still staying up late and crashing while on, Skype.
We’re doing a Bible Study together and continuing our daily pursuit of Jesus first, and then each other. And that’s what’s truly awesome…by putting Jesus at the forefront of our relationship…by encouraging each other to pursue God first in our lives…in the process of that pursuit Jesus is showing us how to pursue each other…it’s truly amazing.
Courtney is an amazing and beautiful woman (inside and out) and I am honored to be the man that has captured her heart. Everyday my heart is in pursuit of hers, and everyday I fall for her more and more. I am so very blessed and Courtney has brought happiness to my life that I have never experienced before. Her passion for God and people inspires me, and there’s not a day that passes that either of us is not pursuing each other.
Something that Courtney and I acknowledge and say almost everyday is how good God has been to us…and how amazing His plans for our future must be. Without a doubt we give God all the glory…without a doubt we believe Jesus is the reason why we even met in the first place, and we’re so thankful for that.
This is just the start…
