Our Story - Part 4

Times Together & Apart

We e-mailed each other over the summer, and a couple weeks into our Senior year, Geoff asked me to be his girlfriend, and I accepted. I was scheduled to student teach following our Christmas Break, so the time between Sept-Dec of 2001 was the longest amount of time we had ever spent together until we got married. Praise the Lord for cell phones & e-mail! After student teaching was completed, I had one week of break that happened to correspond with Northland’s Spring Break. Geoff flew out to my parent’s home to meet them & so we could re-connect after the 4 months apart.

My mom desperately wanted to buy me a new outfit for Easter, so we ran into a couple stores before going to the airport. While I was trying on things in Kohl’s dressing room, unbeknownst to me, Geoff was asking my dad for his permission for marriage – in the men’s dress clothes section. It was the first time all week that he had a chance to talk to my dad alone. Too funny! My parents said yes, and we headed back to NBBC to finish our college careers.

Geoff was asked to be in a wedding that happened to be in Colorado in June 2002, so we scheduled a weeklong visit before the wedding. While touring Colorado Springs together, we headed for the Garden of the Gods. While we driving into the parking lot, I noticed some seedy-looking characters heading onto the trails where we were going. They were rough looking teenage/college aged guys looking rather rough & tough. I just wished to avoid them, so I kept looking over my shoulder to make sure they weren’t following us. Relieved that they had turned off onto another trail, I turned around to see Geoff on his knee proposing to me. Of course, I said yes, or my last name wouldn’t be Smith. :)

I had just signed a contract to teach for a year in Colorado while living with my parents, and Geoff was scheduled to start his first year of seminary in Pennsylvania, so we knew our engagement would be similar to our time of dating – apart. During the 12 months we were engaged, we were together for 4 weeks total. Those were another week that summer before school started, Thanksgiving, Christmas, & Spring Break. (Not that we would recommend it, but it was a great abstinence program!)

After we had started dating, we talked about how it all began. Geoff confessed to me he had the hardest time finding me since we had totally different schedules and classes. He had pretty much given up hope, and was about to apologize to Kristi & Renee for not coming through. He talked it over with his good friend, who advised, “you better ask her out, because she might be expecting you to.” Well, I wasn’t. He had come into the Extension Office 3-4 times looking for me on the day of the Banquet and getting frustrated, so one of GA’s told Geoff that he would radio him when I was in, and that’s when he came!

It’s amazing to see how all sorts of people were a part of us coming together. It’s amazing how the Lord orchestrated this. At times it felt so out of control, but it wasn’t – God knew what He was doing. How could I question Him?

This has been so good for me to go over & remember. Sometimes when marriage gets tough, I forget that this is the man God had me marry - to be with for the rest of my life. Thanks for letting me share!