Cummins

When we met in high school, neither one of us was "allowed to date." And still, God had a plan. Ok, let me back up. During our freshman year of high school, our two churches came together for a summer mission trip to a Navajo Reservation in Arizona. From the very first joint church meeting, we were drawn to each other (actually, we didn't know about this mutual attraction until a few months ago when we were reminiscing). Shortly after the trip concluded, we started dating. It was tough. We lived about 40 minutes away from each other and neither one of us had a drivers license. But somehow our parents recalled the "not allowed to date" mindset- God's plan. We were together for two and half years. We went to double homecoming dances, small dates at the mall, and of course, we returned to the same Navajo town each summer. Then, senior year came, and God's plan was that we each go our own direction- grow through our individual needs. It broke both our hearts, but we said one last goodbye. Now, I'm sure we all know, it wasn't the last! After nine years of sharing the occasional "like" on facebook, Levi reached out. "Hey, I'm in Colorado until tomorrow afternoon," he said, "Wanted to see if you had any free time to catch up. Maybe grab a coffee." So we, both bleary eyed by the "early morning," shared a brunch. Nine years is a long time to wait for brunch, but God had a plan. Very soon our no-expectations reunion sprouted a deep understanding for each of us. An understanding of how we each had grown through our needs, grown in faith, and grown more into who God was calling us to be. I remember thinking very clearly that I would not have been ready for that conversation a month or even a week prior. God's timing is perfect. Well, we just never stopped talking. We shared our revelations, experiences from our past 9 years, and questions about faith over text. Then, I had the chance to visit Levi (and his amazing family) in Amarillo. And just like in high school, we were still drawn to each other. And God's plan was not done! Levi found a sudden and honestly miraculous opportunity to move back to Colorado. We still lived 25 minutes apart, but at least we could both drive! Over Christmas, we both felt a deep sense of peace about spending our lives together. Levi proposed on leap day. And now? We are so excited to see where God's plan takes us next!