Fruit: A love story

I definitely had big expectations for this past semester. New country, new culture, new job, new relationships. "Fruit" was the word I kept hearing from Him when thinking about what was ahead. Steeped in excitement, I set to work, teaching and casting nets.

Then I waited. Where would this fruit come from? What would it look like?

As certain relationships began to form, I began to see that this was it. Then more and more...and more. In exhilaration, we've been watching planted and watered seeds grow into fruit in the form of new hearts and growth in older ones. Our praise going up hasn't been able to keep up with the grace coming down!

As the semester wound down, I just kept smiling- "I'm really here, and He's really doing what He said He would do." But He wasn't done!

In all of this outward fruit, He was saving special fruit for my own heart. Now, most seeds are planted and sprout in weeks. Others in months, years and so on. This Fall, an 11 year seed sprouted in my life.

Back story. When I was young and dumb (15 to be exact) I made the surprisingly mature decision to go after real beauty. Sure I was attracted to her, but I was even more drawn to a depth that I saw in her. There was a deep rootedness about her. Her heart and character were grounded, and she was (and is) beautiful. To spare you the epic novel I could easily insert here, we dated, broke up, and started dating again right before I moved to China.

Also, If you know me, but not Lauren, I'm sorry. If that's true, then you also probably don't have the clearest picture of me. To continue with the farming analogy, she is the soil that He has used to bring about major fruit in my life. She is the clearest Ebenezer of His love and faithfulness to me.

Ok, so picture us, and picture a seed. In the ground. 11 years. When will it be time? Will it ever be time? These questions have hung over our heads for quite a while, but in a season where I was looking for fruit all around me, ground started to break right in front of me. He used a visit by her in November (part of my blogging delay- sorry!) and a lot of prayer afterwards (another part of the delay!) to show us that part of the fruit that He had planned was, well, us.

Wow... Flight. Check. Ring. Check. Merry Christmas!

She said yes! We're engaged!

It's hard to sum it all up here, but I'll begin and end with fruit. We are overflowing with excitement because we know this is just the beginning of it! Details are still being worked out, but we are rooted and grounded in the One who is Faithful, who establishes the steps of those who commit their way to Him (Proverbs 16). He is the soil that always proves faithful. Amen.

For the detail people!:

Lauren thought I was going to be on a long train to visit some friends in Central China for Christmas. I've had to repent, but it sure got me off the hook for 30+ hours without communication! She was home from North Carolina and had been planning to go see my family on Christmas afternoon. When she came, my mother answered the door and told her that everyone was on the back porch and to go ahead and go out there. She opened the door to the back, but surprisingly she didn't see anyone. I slowly poked my head around the corner, and I met eyes that looked like they were seeing a ghost! She froze, so I had to walk her to the middle of the porch so my cousins (who were hiding behind bushes in the rain!) could take pictures. I quoted lyrics to a song that I wrote her 9 years ago, and after saying a few more things (private!), I dropped to the knee. She actually nodded instead of saying, "yes" but I figure that counts!

We're looking at getting married in the Fall, living in North Carolina for her second year of residency, then returning to China for my second year. We'll keep ya posted!