my greatest gift. my greatest adventure.

Most of you know, and for those of you who must live under a rock listen up, but.... I'M ENGAGED!

Sixteen months ago, a beautiful, passionate woman came into my life and turned it all upside down. Heidi Logan, a kindergarten teacher I met through my work with Harrisonburg High School's Fine Arts department, is unlike anyone I've been blessed enough to know. We’ve guided our way through the highs and lows of relationships. We’ve staggered and struggled. We’ve cried, laughed, bickered, and smiled. We’ve supported one another in each of our endeavors. We’ve ran together, stuffed our faces with chicken baskets together, and sang at the tops of our lungs together. We've tackled road trips together, family vacations, and at times have been down-right annoyed with one another. We've danced in the living room, and respected one another. We’ve journeyed through this past year and ultimately, every day, chosen to grow in love with each other.

And when Heidi answered "Yes" to my proposal, I immediately became that timeless cliché - a knight in shining armor. The fact of that matter is that as soon as this beautiful woman I cherish became the fiancé I promise to cherish and honor till death do us part, my responsibility changed from taking care of myself, to protecting her.

I love the way John Eldredge puts it in his book, Wild At Heart:

"There is nothing more inspiring to a man as a beautiful woman. She'll make you want to charge the castle, slay the giant, leap across parapets."

It is a desired burnt deep inside a man. A desire, a need, to not just fight, but to have someone to fight for. And with Heidi, I've found my greatest reason to fight the battle and have set out on my greatest adventure.

Now, Heidi and I aren't married yet, and I cannot sit here and say that we have it all figured out. But I do know that we are learning! In our daily devotions and conversations, we learn more about one another and, ultimately, about our relationship - the good, the bad and the ugly aspects.

Marriage is a commitment – a promise – to God that you vow to love someone like Christ first loved us. In the most intimate, demanding, all-encompassing way. A vow to serve them and unselfishly love them as Christ served and unselfishly loved us. To carry their troubles. To take the blows of their shortcomings. To bear the mocking of their sins and struggles. To put their well-being ahead of your own to the point of brokenness, so that we can ultimately rise in love. We do this in hopes of obtaining a greater understanding of the magnitude of the Gospel and a greater appreciation for the power of what Jesus did on our behalf.

I was reminded a few days ago by our Senior Pastor at the church I work at, that marriage is a small, intimate reflection of God's love for us. It is His gift to us. And that it is something that should never be taken lightly. Marriage is the promise to accept someone and love them like God loves us, everyday.

I am excited about marrying Heidi. She is God's precious gift to me. She is the fair maiden locked away in a tower. She is my damsel in distress. And I get to be the man fighting for her honor. (Sometimes I picture myself as Shrek going to rescue Princess Fiona.)

We are not perfect people. We fail daily. But we are both committed to following a  PERFECT God who showed us the perfect example of how to love.

It is mind-boggling, to me, that God would allow me – dramatic, rude, baggage-carrying, selfish me – to have the honor and privilege of loving and caring for His beautiful gift, Heidi. I know that the moment I start believing that I’m capable of selflessly and unconditionally loving her, I will fail. But it brings me so much joy and excitement to know that I don’t have to go at it alone.