Our Story (pt. 4): Happily Ever After

Continued from Our Story (pt. 3)...

That week in August was a turning point for me. Dan and I both caught really bad colds right after debriefing, so that week at his parents' house we basically just hung out and talked. We both felt disgusting and looked as bad as we felt. We spent most of the week watching old Disney movies and blowing our noses. I got to see Dan interacting with his family and friends in real life (team life is seriously another world), and I started to fall for him. "Great," I thought, "I've just recently told him I don't want to date him, but now I've changed my mind, and he's never going to ask me again." I finally got the courage up to tell him, but first had to say a couple awkward things, of course. I had had a few things on my mind I was thinking about a lot, that we disagreed about theologically. We were sitting on his parents' front porch when I said something like, "You know, I think we have some differences in beliefs..." I then went on to ask him about one of the issues I felt we disagreed about. He said he had never really thought about the issues I addressed. It was just what he had grown up believing/hearing. We talked a little bit about them, and when I saw his heart was open to talking about and working through some of these (non-salvific, yet important) issues, I blurted, "So... I think we should just date." Dan's response? "Okay!" That was August 19, 2006 and that was the day we went on our first "date" to a Twins Game, although Dan's parents were with us, so, technically we had chaperones... but it was still fun :)

Our first "date" at a Twins game- August 19, 2006

We spent the next few weeks helping train in the next Youth Encounter teams and tried hard to pretend we weren't dating so as to focus on our roles there and not encourage dating while on team (it's kind of against the rules, you know). It was good for us! We had a great time getting to know each other while serving and while being around a bunch of other people who could keep us accountable.

I still wasn't sure about Dan at the time. I was sure I loved spending time with him, but was he the one? I thought I would know instantly when I met the man who would be my future husband. Isn't it supposed to be like that? I'd been watching too many chick flicks. Dan, on the other hand, says he knew he would wanted to marry me ever since we started talking at VBS training. He said he didn't know what got into him. He had always been shy when it came to the opposite sex and hadn't ever really pursued a girl. They had always chased him. After we were already dating, Dan told me how the Lord had spoken to his heart and prompted him to get to know me. So he went for it! I'm so glad he listened.

After training was over, Dan drove me home to Chicago and met my family. He even went with us on our family vacation to Gulf Shores, Alabama. Then he drove home and our long distance relationship began. Not fun. It can be summarized in the following words: phone calls, video chat, emails, letters, and more phone calls. Neither one of us were really "phone people" either, so it really put a strain on our relationship. We visited each other once every month or two for seven months, until Dan decided to move to Chicago to be closer to me. He moved into the condo my parents had for rent and took one awful job after another to be able to stay in Chicago near me.

Sunset in Gulf Shores, AL- Sept. 2006

After a few months and a lot of talking about the future, Dan proposed! I thought it would still be awhile, so I was pretty surprised. We had looked at rings, but only so he could know my taste. Little did I know he saved up to buy the ring I loved. On July 2, 2007, Dan cooked me dinner at his place and put on a whole concert for me, with his guitar, amp, mic, set list, and everything. I remember on the way there, we got a blue Slurpee from 7-Eleven and I spilled it all over my shirt. Classic. So much for looking nice on the night of my engagement. Dan had candles set up while we ate dinner. He fretted the whole time about the meal, how dry the chicken was, how underdone the potatoes were, and how cold the corn was... but I didn't mind! I found it funny how much he cared. After dinner he started playing and singing songs to me that he had written. I had heard most of them before, including the last one of the night, "Honestly." I hadn't yet heard the secretive last verse he had been saving for his future wife, though:

"Will you, marry me, if I ask you, honestly? Will you take my hand and be my wife? Will you love me for the rest of your life?

This is the part he doesn't like me telling, but it's my favorite part! He couldn't finish singing the song because of his tears. He got down on his knee, pulled out the ring, and asked me to marry him. Of course I said, "Yes!" He had met with my parents a few weeks earlier, unbeknownst to me, and had asked them for their blessing on our engagement. What a keeper!


One of our engagement photos... thanks, Beth!

Almost eleven months later (entirely too long for an engagement!), in a tiny cabin at Luther Dell Bible Camp, I got ready to walk down an outdoor aisle to marry my best friend. It was also two years to the day Dan had told me he liked me in that very cabin. Now he was telling me he loved me and was promising to spend the rest of his life with me. What a difference two years can make! We were married on May 24, 2008 on an absolutely beautiful day with the lake in front of us, loons calling during our vows, and the camp bell ringing as we walked back up the aisle as Mr. & Mrs. Dan Schmidt. We had a blast at our reception, out in an open field under a big white tent with french windows and little white lights overhead. It started storming just as we were leaving the reception...another gift from the Lord that day...I love storms so much! It was so sweet to drive down the long gravel driveway of the camp as it thundered and lightninged around us, as we excitedly talked and held hands as newlyweds.
 

Getting ready in 'our' cabin

 

   

 

 

 

  
I love how the Lord orchestrated everything from long before we even met until the day we said our vows. He knew. He is the author of our story! Even when a 15 year old girl was lonely and learning to trust the Lord, and a 16 year old boy was growing into a godly man, wondering what was ahead, God had it all figured out. All of the people we had our hearts set on in the past weren't what God knew was best for us. I'm so glad he didn't let us settle for our 'best'. He is such a good and faithful God!