There have been countless times over the last seven or so years when the subject of courtship vs. dating was brought up. People thought our family was "off their rocker" in that we had a stand that we will not follow the worlds way on a lot of things, one of them being dating. I had a boss that used to drill me with things like, "So Chris what girl did you go out with last night" or "Who are you sweet on" and so forth. And when I would tell him where I stood on my standards of courtship he would say I was crazy and that I never would find a wife if I kept it up. But one just had to look at his life and see for themselves that his way did not hold water. He was on his third wife, his wife was on her second husband. Their kids and grand kids had remarried time after time again. And here he was telling me to do the same day after day! Satan has blinded this generation on this vary important subject of keeping our self pure and spotless for our spouse. Instead of us trying to find a spouse and giving our heart out every time we "try" one, we can just give God that area of our life and rest in totally peace that when the time is right he will, in his awesome grace, bring us the one He planned for us from the beginning of time. Better yet, we can spend the rest of our life with that person and not have past relationships marring and robing us of that joy. That's exactly what He will if we honer him bring the best one to us! I know, because that's just what he did in my life.
I met the Walters some years back when we helped build a building for the church Bro. Jason pastors in Newcomb N.M. I loved their family right off the bat! It was fun being around them and the highlight of my year any time we would visit them. At that time I was content being single and enjoyed spending my time serving when and where God would use me. That did not last long! God was working in my life and as I would pray for my future wife whoever she was, their oldest daughter, Sadie, would come across my mind. This continued to happen, so after much prayer I called her dad and told him I felt God leading me this way and wanted to let him know so he could join me in prayer and help guard Sadie's heart. He did not give me a "yes" or "no" right then but told me it did not surprise him and he and his wife would bathe it in prayer. He did caution me, though, that at that time they had some things to pray through. It was a time of giving the Lord full control of my life as I thought Sadie was all ready spoken for. And I loved her so much at that time I gave her over fully to God. I wanted God's best in my life but more importantly, I wanted His best in Sadie's life. Be that with me or not I had to come to the hard decision to let her go and trust God to work it out in His time and way.
A few weeks later, Bro. Jason called me back and said the Lord was moving in a different way and asked to set up a time his wife and him could call and talk some more to me. They did and after that he called again and asked me if I could make it out and help with a church camp for the Navajos. I was busy that week with work but thought I would try and see if I could get those days off. After much prayer and re-arranging my work schedule, I was able to take off and drive out to spend the week with them. It was hard not to pay Sadie any special attention but to just let God bring us together if it was his will. I made it through that week and had a nice talk again with her parents. It was exciting as I was starting to see God's hand in this and saw how He was working to bring this together!
I drove back out in Sep. to elk hunt and spend time with the family. While I was there, I was also able to talk some more with Bro Jason. By that time I knew it was going to come about...it was just a matter of timing and prayer. I saw the family again last November in Texas as we met up with them for a evening. That was the hardiest time to try and act myself but not let on to anything and to not pay any extra attention to Sadie! Through all this God was shaping our lives and molding us for that perfect image without the other one knowing (even though I knew at that time, I did not have a clue what Sadie thought of me!).
Then, on the 14th of March Sadie went out with her parents for breakfast and they told her I was interested in courting her. That was a Saturday morning and I knew they were going to ask her what her feelings were. All day I was out...just spaced out!
Trying to work all day with the knowledge that by now she had to know something was almost too much for me! The clock kept ticking and ticking with no news from them.
Finally, at 10pm or so my time I received word that it had gone real nice and Sadie was thrilled. Bro. Jason said I could call her for the first time after two the next day! That was the first and only time I did a pentecostal movement in my room! Just kidding, but I was so excited and moved that night I can't even explain it. God is so good! The Walters came out and spent some time with my family right after that and for the first time I was able to spend time with Sadie and get to know her better. It was fun and so nice! After that, she bought a cell phone and we spent hours over the next few weeks talking with each other and planing our lives.
After just a couple of weeks, the time came when I felt peace to bring this to the next level and ask her hand in marriage. Her family had gone to Summerville MO to visit Bro. Jason's dad and mom and I had the awesome opportunity to go out and spend a weekend with the family! It was the weekend I had been waiting on for a vary long time! After we ate that night, Sadie and myself (along with her parents) went down to the creek and took a walk. It was there that I put a ring on the prettiest hand in the whole world! It was the most beautiful thing I ever did in my life! And well worth the wait!
Would I do it all over again? You bet! I would not trade a moment of it! I did not, as some say, "miss" out on my life by waiting on the Lord and not dating. Some day real soon I will look down in the eyes of my wife and be able to say from the bottom of my heart that I have never been out with a girl, have never kissed some one in my whole life, have never touched one, or called one on the phone, or went out with one, Or gave my heart away to one. But I can tell Sadie that she is the Love of my life and has my whole heart - not just a piece of it but the whole thing and always will! If I had to relive my life I would not change a thing!
