How a =) Led To God, Food & Love.
(As experienced by Deanon) On January 8, 2014, I decided to put a profile on “christianmingle” as a last ditch effort to meet someone. I had tried several different Christian dating websites, and even “christianmingle” before with no success, so to be honest I wasn’t expecting too much. But I wanted to try one last time. The month-long membership that I paid for flew by quickly with no activity or connections to be spoken of, so I went ahead and allowed it to expire on February 9. When it expired I said to the Lord, “Ok Lord, I guess it’s just you and me.” It wasn’t a moment of sad resignation, but rather a consenting submissive one. After 15 years of praying and searching, I decided that it must be God’s will for me to remain single, and surprisingly, I was ok with it. After all, God has brought me this far in my life, so why not trust Him to lead me all the way home?
The day after my profile expired, February 10, I received a “smile” =) from someone on “christianmingle”. Yes, the dating websites allow you to receive “smiles” and standard, one-line messages from others on the site even though your membership is expired, but the catch is…if you want to respond to those messages or chat with those people, you have to pay for another membership. Oh the joys of modern techno dating! I looked over the profile that the smile had come from, and I liked it. So I prayed, swallowed hard, and paid for another month-long membership. Then I responded to his smile with a simple message asking him his name.
THREE DAYS LATER, (what seemed like an eternity to me!), he responded. His name was Jon. From there, we began to converse online through instant messages. We found that as each day passed, neither of us could wait to get home from our day to spend time talking to each other. I would find myself laughing out loud at the things he would say, and I began to yearn for those times when I would get home, eat supper really fast, and then jump on the computer to see how he was doing. We would spend hours every evening talking and laughing through instant messages. Now, I know what you’re thinking…”how can you possibly get to know someone for real on the internet”…but on February 28, with no fear in my heart what-so-ever, (which was very unusual for me, and truly from God), I met up with Jon Morales at a “Starbucks” in Sarasota. What I found was that he was the same man in front of me, as I had grown to really care about online. He bought us coffee and we sat and talked for hours. Having lost track of time because the conversation was so good, he suggested we grab something to eat, so we went on our first adventure together…to find a unique restaurant for supper.
We shared a great meal and great conversation once again. For both of us, it was the first time we were really able to be completely ourselves and comfortable with the other person, and it felt so good. As time has gone on, we have discovered that our conversations typically revolve around two main topics, God and food. Sure, we talk about our day, things we have to do, politics, goals, plans, our hurts, victories, struggles and joys, but somehow we always come back to God and food! “God & Food” will most likely be the title of our book…should we ever write one. Ha! J
As our relationship has progressed over the last several months, we have both witnessed and acknowledged how God has been involved since day one. I could tell you story after story about how God brought us together, but there is one very interesting detail about our story that you have to know. It’s what started it all.
What I did not know is very important for you all to know. Three months into our relationship, Jon told me his side of the story of how we met online. We were talking one night and he said that he needed to tell me something. I was immediately a bit nervous, but I said, “ok, what’s that?” He proceeded to tell me that he never sent me that first smile on “christianmingle”. I thought he was joking, so I kinda chuckled and said, “yah, right.” Then with all seriousness in his eyes and face, he said, “no, I didn’t”. He then told me that the evening he put his profile on “christianmingle”, he didn’t even look at any profiles. He had been annoyed because he kept seeing commercials for this particular website, and when he went to bed, he couldn’t sleep. He knew the Lord was prompting him to put his profile on “christianmingle”, so he just quickly threw a profile online through his phone, and then went to sleep. He never pulled up any profiles for anyone on that site. He never looked at anything. But somehow in the few hours between the time that my profile expired, and his profile was added, a smile was sent from his profile to mine, asking me what my name was.
As he told me his side of the story, I was just in disbelief. I kept saying, “Well, how did it get there?” Finally, with a smile and a nod, he pointed up. He said, “It had to be God”. The first time that Jon saw my picture or profile was after he received my message when I responded to the mysterious “smile” that appeared in my inbox. The website does not send out messages to others for you. Personal messages can only come from the person who owns the profile. But Jon didn’t send it. The only explanation is God.
There are so many stories of how we have seen God’s hand at work in our relationship, many things. What is important for you all to know is that the most important things that make a relationship, common interests, goals, faith, beliefs and desires are perfectly matched, and even our differences compliment one another perfectly. There really isn’t a better matchmaker out there than THE ONE who created us. What we have found is a love that goes beyond our similarities and differences, beyond our dreams, hopes and desires. It’s a love that was founded in and is centered on Jesus Christ. Who could ask for more?
But there is more! A few months ago, Jon and I started talking about marriage. Obviously when you are our age, (late thirties), you are looking for a mate, not someone to date, so you don’t waste time in determining whether this person is the one you will spend your life with. Both of us praying a lot, and asking all the questions we needed to, we both came to the conclusion that God brought us together.
Back in May, we scheduled a trip on Labor Day weekend for us to travel to Indiana so that Jon could finally meet my parents and the rest of my family. We spent a couple months before the trip on “facetime” with my parents. Every Sunday afternoon for 2-3 hours we would talk and laugh and spend time together so that when he went to Indiana, he would already know them pretty well. As we continued to talk about marriage for the next few months before the trip, we began to plan out how we wanted to do the engagement. Or at least, I thought “WE” were planning this. Little did I know that Jon had his own plan.
We talked for weeks about the trip to Indiana and he kept saying that he did not want to ask for my dad’s blessing the first time that he met him. He felt that was wrong. So we were going to drive up for the weekend a month after Labor Day weekend and surprise them and he would ask for dad’s blessing then. For those three months, he was consistent on that point, no matter how much I tried to hint that I believed dad would give his blessing when we went up the first time, he refused. He kept saying he felt that was wrong to meet him the first time and then ask for my hand. So I just settled in my heart that I would let him do what he felt comfortable doing. Meanwhile, we begin to plan a wedding with no help, because of course, we aren’t telling anyone about our plan…or so I thought.
August finally rolls around and we are getting excited to go on our mini vacation to Indiana, and he begins to insist that he wear a suit to our family gathering that weekend. My parents had invited both sides of my family to come together for a little open house so they could meet Jon. I kept telling him that a suit wasn’t necessary because most everyone would probably be wearing shorts and t-shirts, but he insisted on wearing a suit because he wanted to make a good impression. I went along with it and packed a nice skirt and blouse to wear, even though I knew we would be over-dressed. But I would support him so he wouldn’t be the only over-dressed person at the party.
A couple days before our trip, Jon tells me that he is bringing all his computer technology equipment on the trip too so he can help my mom fix her computer while in Indiana. He told me that if security stops him, to just go on ahead and wait for him at the benches outside security. No big deal. I bought it…hook, line, and sinker. The trip was wonderful! We had an amazing weekend, and then Sunday came. The night before, mom and I convinced dad to wear his suit too, which he made a big fuss about…all an act put on by my father apparently. We went to church and then rushed home afterward to get a quick bite for lunch, and then we were supposed to head back to the church for the family gathering. We were going to have to set up the tables and chairs and prepare the snacks and drinks. Well, dad and Jon got hung up at the house, so mom and I went on ahead to the church and started setting up tables and chairs. Jon and dad would bring ice and be there shortly.
We got to the church at 1:30, and people were already starting to arrive. The party wasn’t supposed to start til 2PM, but they were coming now. “Interesting”, I thought. But I put it out of my mind and went on about my business. Then I noticed that people were dressed nicely with skirts, blouses, nice pants and shirts. Thought that was interesting too, but I put it out of my mind. Then I noticed my uncle busily running around taking pictures of everyone at the party, and wondered why he was doing that, but I put that out of my mind too. Jon and dad finally arrived, and Jon was so nervous. He even disappeared a few times. I just thought it was because my family is a big family, with a lot of people and he was overwhelmed, so I put it out of my head. I was rushing around trying to introduce him to everyone. Then he left my side for a few moments and I saw him talking to dad.
The next thing I know, mom and dad stand up in front and hush the crowd. Mom invited us to come up front, so Jon came and puts his arm around me and we walk to the front. I just thought I was supposed to introduce Jon and tell people how we met, so I did so, and then I figured we would go on with the party. But then Jon started to speak. I don’t even remember what he said. It’s all a blur. I remember looking at him and thinking, “What is he doing?” Then he turned and looked at me, with my hand in his, and I actually said what I was thinking, “What are you doing?”
Then he said, “I want to ask for your hand in marriage.” With that, he took the ring out of his jacket, and got down on one knee, and said, “Will you marry me?” I was in such shock that I took a step back and said, “WHAT?!” In my shock, I forgot about the moment we were in, and he said, “You didn’t answer my question…are you going to marry me or not?” I was jolted back to my senses, and of course, I said “Yes!”
He pulled off a surprise engagement that took three months to plan with the help of my parents, and my entire family! After the party of course, I heard all the details of how long this went on. Jon received my dad’s blessing over the phone in early June, and then asked him again in person upon arriving in Indiana when they went to breakfast together. He purchased my ring in June, which was the reason for the story at the airport if security stopped him due to the ring. And everyone who was dressed up and taking pictures and arriving early was ready for the occasion.
So, I was the last to know. Jon’s entire family knew of this plan, in fact his mother was watching the whole proposal unfold via “facetime” on his phone. His friends knew. The church I grew up in at home, even knew. Hundreds of people knew, but I didn’t. It was a really wonderful surprise! There were so many signs that I should have recognized as indicators that it was coming, but Jon had me so convinced that we were waiting until October that I dismissed them all. What an amazing man the Lord has given me!
So, we begin our journey as a married couple on February 7, 2015, and we can’t wait! We want to thank you all for being such an important part of our lives, for bringing us up and pouring into us all these years. And especially thank you for the prayers…the Lord has answered, and we are on our way. We hope our story has touched your heart. More importantly, we believe that our story is really God’s story since HE started it all and will carry it all the way through. All the credit goes to HIM! Praise the Lord!
Jon & Deanon