Her Story

 

Looking back over the past several years, I am amazed and at times overwhelmed by the Lord’s faithful hand leading and guiding my life.  In order to more fully understand the significance of our story, I need to first begin with some background.

 

I embraced the opportunity to move to the lower mainland almost 6 years ago, and in this place of truly being on my own for the first time,  had a chance to learn much of myself and my God.  Through this season of my life, my love for the Lord deepened as I had the opportunity to experience His love and His goodness in new ways.  He was so very faithful!!  As I was intentional to take more time in His Word, the Lord began revealing many truths about my identity in Him, His love for me and His plans for the future.  My prayer was that the Lord would continue to give me a hunger and thirst for His Word and that He would lead me into all Truth (John 16:13).  As I spent time with Him, I was reminded of the plan and purpose He had for my life.  I had always prayed that the Lord would bring the man I was to marry into my life in His perfect timing, knowing that He knew me better than even I did....including when and what I needed most.  I must admit that I was a bit impatient at times, but wanted to save my heart for the one who, although might be a bit “delayed”, was on his way.  During this season of singleness I had many opportunities to adventure, explore, delight in all the Lord had created, and pray for this man who would one day play a big role in my life.

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The fall of 2010 brought me back to Alberta, and the Lord continued to faithfully lead and guide. Starting my own business and having more of an awareness of what was going on in the world gave me the desire to be ready for what inevitably lay ahead. I had many questions as I searched the bible and looked in books, all with a desire to be prepared. 

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It shouldn’t surprise me, but I so easily forget how the Lord works - placing something on our hearts, and then answering and providing as we seek Him.  I was in the mall one weekday morning after Christmas, when I was approached by a young man, asking if I would sponsor a child through World Vision.  When I told him I already had a sponsor child, He asked if I would consider sponsoring another!  Although I already had a second, I admired his persistence.  During our conversation we realized our common hearts for missions and our love of God.  I remember going home and telling one of my sisters that I had met this great guy in the mall...who would have thought!  I was quick to add, however, that he probably had a girlfriend.  Our paths divinely crossed a couple more times and during these encounters had a chance to talk more of what God had laid on our hearts.  Our conversations led to having some tea together and opening the bible to discover answers to some of my questions.  As we looked at scripture together, I began to see some of the pieces I had been missing in my own study and in my own journey.  God had definately been preparing me for this time - there were scriptures that had been highlighted to me in years previous in my own personal study and time with the Lord that were now being answered and confirmed.  Although some of these things were different from my understanding growing up, I sensed the hand of the Holy Spirit leading and guiding me into all Truth just as He had promised. 

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Keith and I decided to remain “intentional friends” through this period of our relationship.  This was an important boundary for me as it gave me a chance to have the space I needed to continue to search out the questions I had, and to make sure we were headed in the same direction as far as what we believed.  It also gave me the opportunity to get to know his 8 year old daughter Mikayla  - a beautiful and amazing little girl with curly hair and dimples.  It was pretty much impossible not to fall in love with her immediately.  With her sense of adventure and care for those around her, she won the hearts of my family members rather quickly.

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In the fall of last year I had the opportunity to attend an amazing school in Oregon called ARISE.  Going into post secondary right after highschool and then jumping into ministry with Young Life shortly after graduating had not allowed me the opportunity to do some of what had been laid on my heart earlier in life.  The opportunity presented itself to go to a two week bible base course where I could learn more of the bible....and how to further interpret it for myself.  I knew the Lord’s hand was on my time there, as everything to enable me to go came together very quickly and rather miraculously.  It was during these two weeks that I could no longer deny the truths that had been revealed to me in Scripture over a period of a few years...beginning with my time in Abbotsford.   The Lord had definately brought me to this point in my journey with Him and I realized I needed to continue stepping out into where He was leading, just as I had in BC. The doors opened up for me to stay for the rest of the four month program, and it was during this time that I made a very educated and exciting decision to join the Seventh Day Adventist movement, a group of people who embrace the 7th Day Sabbath and believe in sharing the urgency of the 3 Angel’s message.  Although I didn’t need to be baptized again,  I made the decision to be baptized in the river at ARISE to solidify these truths that I had embraced, and to continue on my journey with the Lord with renewed commitment.  Keith, Brennan and Diana drove all the way from Alberta to be there, and I know many from our small group and others would have joined them had time not been a factor. 

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It was at ARISE where Keith asked me to officially be his girlfriend.  The weather had been very rainy in Oregon (much like the lower mainland), but much to our delight, the sky opened up as we headed to the coast for some much needed time together.   Here on the beach Keith expressed his feelings and intentions, along with some beautiful roses. We both knew that the Lord had brought us together, and so began a time of getting to know one another more intentionally to see if we might possibly be journey mates for life.

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I have been absolutely amazed over these past many months as the Lord has confirmed our decision over and over.  I had made a list of things I was looking for in a life partner a few weeks before I met Keith.  When I realized a few months ago that he met every last thing, I was overwhelmed.  The Lord truly does delight to give good gifts to His children...and Keith has been the Lord’s gift to me.  Although we are both very different, we are very much alike in so many ways.  We both love to adventure and explore, have a deep appreciation for God’s creation and for music, and most importantly desire to make God first place in our lives as we share Him with others.

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Keith proposed to me on a beach in Vancouver this past spring...a morning breakfast with a treasure hunt to follow.  Keith had set me up well to be surprised...only to realize later maybe a little too good:)  We had recently finished some pre-marriage counseling classes with Pastor Wesley at our church.  At the end, Keith asked me if there was anything more that I would like to talk through before me might take this next step.  I asked him the same question and realized that there were many things that he still wanted to discuss.  Since Keith is so methodical, I pushed any such thoughts of engagement out of my head.  Well, here it was, now staring me in the face!  Well...I guess it was me staring into the face of a beautiful watch that Keith had picked out for me on his trip to Hawaii.  Of course I accepted, and we enjoyed  an adventure of kayaking in one of my favorite places.  What a perfect surprise!

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Well, that is our story...one of God’s faithfulness, one of Him leading and guiding, bringing us together in His perfect timing and way.  Although the details would be too many to write, I have seen little and big reminders again and again of how the Lord has prepared me and my heart over the course of my life to join together with Keith.  Many of you have not had a chance to get to know Keith, and I look forward to this happening!  He is an amazing man....that soul mate that many of you have been praying for...thank you for those prayers!

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If there is anything I can end off with it would be this...life with God is an adventure.  He loves each one of us so incredibly much, and if we choose to accept this love and follow Him with all our hearts, we will find our greatest needs and desires truly met in Him.

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His Story

 

Tuesday, 10:00am. That’s when my shift began at the mall.

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The shift from singleness to companionship.

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It was the morning I met Jenn.

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Standing by the World Vision kiosk in West Edmonton  Mall (one of the largest malls in the world), I was cordially greeting the sleepy passerby's when she caught my eye as I tried to catch hers. It was the way she was dressed that first arrested my attention – very attractive yet modest. Definitely a far cry from the mall norm.​​

A simple conversation began to grow between the two of us as she stopped and we shared briefly about life experiences. Immediately I recognized that this was a woman of character.

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And then she was gone.

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I knew her first name, but nothing more. But something had been touched in my heart. Who was this beautiful woman? And why did I feel this way? I didn’t even know who she was! And who meets their sweetheart in the mall?

So that night I prayed. “God, I don’t know who Jenn is but you do. If it’s your will I meet her again, please arrange it…”

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Several months prior, my friend Diana and Brennen had begun working as fundraisers with World Vision Canada. Diana told me many exciting stories of her experiences working in the mall and she would always say “Keith, you should work here! You would do so well!”. And I would always say, “Thanks Diana, maybe if things slow down with my business” but thinking that they wouldn’t. But I do remember praying about it and saying “God, if you want me working at World Vision, you’ll have to open the doors, cause I don’t see it happening.”​Wouldn’t you know it, but business slowed right down, and after a couple of weeks of wanting to work but only having a few minor jobs with my business, I phoned up Diana & Brennen’s manager and inquired about working a few days per week. She gave me a job, I went through training, and exactly two weeks to the day of my first shift, I met Jenn! Funny thing is that my business picked up again too, so I was only working about one or two shifts per week at the mall.

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Jenn and I met again at a most unexpected time. Actually, Jenn had come back to the mall the next day after our first meeting and I noticed her as she walked by and waved, but I was in the middle of a presentation to a potential sponsor as I helplessly smiled back from the middle of my conversation.

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A couple weeks later, I was called and asked to cover a shift for another coworker at the mall. I initially replied “sorry, can’t” but then phoned back and offered 3 hours of my time after having arranged some affairs with my other business.​​

So there I was, during the middle of the lunch period in a very busy and big mall, when Jenn walked up to the booth. I was surprised to see her – actually shocked – but happy she had come back!

And so began our journey. Over the following months we got to know each other as friends as the Holy Spirit continued teaching and guiding us individually in our lives. You’ll have to come to the reception to hear more of the story!

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Looking back, I can clearly perceive how God has written a most beautiful love story in the parchment of our lives. I stand in awe at God’s incredible goodness and at His faithfulness!

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For six years I was a single Dad seeking to raise my beautiful daughter under challenging circumstances. From one challenging situation to another, I saw God’s sustaining and protecting hand through it all.​ Two weeks prior to meeting Jenn in the mall, I was in a small group at our church Wednesday night for a time of prayer. As people were sharing their prayer requests and praises, the Holy Spirit powerfully and specifically convicted me that I should pray for a wife. I felt very uncomfortable with the thought of verbalizing that request publicly, so I resisted and didn't say anything. The time of prayer progressed, and part way through, again, the Holy Spirit powerfully spoke to me that I needed to pray for a wife. This time I didn't resist, and I proceeded to pray for a godly wife. Less then two weeks later I met Jenn in the mall, and now we are married! Truly an answer to prayer and a gift from God, Jenn is the most beautiful woman!

A woman of character.

A kind and loving woman.

A godly, wise woman.

A committed woman.

A woman of the Word.

The woman who I love…

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Our journey is a story that’s only begun as we have set sail on the voyage of wedded life, seeking Jesus as our Captain. Thank-you for your prayers & love!

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“Whose findeth a wife findeth a good thing, and obtaineth favour of the Lord.” Prov. 18:22

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