Surpassing Worth

hey, it’s been a while.

I’ve been thinking more and more about the next several years of my life especially in light of this summer when I’ll be wed to the most beautiful girl on the face of this planet. So i’ll be married in about 4 months, that’s about 120 days left of my single life. While it makes me pause for a second about how much my life’s going to change, I also get incredibly excited for the prospects of this new journey that I’m about to embark on with Caroline. I think back on all my youthful desires and often naive dreams, and I now look at them with sober eyes and I begin to wonder, “What was I thinking!?” But then a part of me wants to believe that those dreams are to be held on to, that I should never let go of them, no matter how unrealistic it may seem to me at the moment. Doesn’t the saying go, “The moment you stop dreaming, you start dying”? I have to believe that God was planting a seed in me in my youth so that those visions and dreams could grow into a mature state by the time I begin to doubt the validity and reality of them ever coming into fruition. So all that to say, I’m really excited about what’s next. For the first time in my life, I really don’t have a very strategic plan or a well thought out scheme, but I’m learning how to live depending on the voice of God to lead me. I hope my ears remember how to listen…

Lead me, God. I’ll follow.

I began the story. She continued the story. Now, I have the envious task of ending the story. I love the tag-team effort.

Monday

We woke up Monday morning a little later than normal. It was much warranted after 2 long days of travel and exhausting fun. Caroline and I woke up in New York, both dizzied from the pace of the weekend. It was a funny mix of joy from the last 2 nights of celebrations and today’s inevitable heart-breaking separation. She was to go her way back to the Midwest and I was supposed to head back to Boston. But what she didn’t know was that there was a slight amendment to the agenda.I wasn’t quite ready to let go of the weekend. I had other plans.

When she thought we were going to grab lunch with her family and then drop her off at the airport to bitterly wave goodbye to each other for another several months, in actuality, I had penned a different ending to the story. I misguided (i.e. outright lied) to her by saying I was going to catch the Bolt Bus back to Boston for a mere $15 (which is a steal, by the way), but in reality I had already booked a flight back to Chicago leaving from LaGuardia only 40 minutes after her. Ingenious, I know.

The lunch went as planned and she said her goodbyes to her parents and her brother drove the both of us to LaGuardia. Pulling up to the terminal, I put on my best sad face and pretended to dread our last goodbye. Gave her a hug and told her to call when she landed and we went our separate ways. I immediately got back in the car and Andy (her brother) and I did a lap around the airport before he dropped me off at the same spot we’d been only 5 minutes earlier! Doing my best to duck and cover from being noticed, I managed to slip into the nearest Au Bon Pain to wait out the time it would take her to check-in. Unable to wait too long, for fear that I wasn’t going to be able to check-in on time myself, I quickly made my way through security and toward the gates. But I didn’t quite make it to my gate, perse. See, I was supposed to be waiting in Gate D8, but Caroline was in Gate D7, which were gates that faced one another. I wouldn’t let this whole surprise fail with that sort of knuckle headed move. So I stopped short of my gate and slipped in to sit and wait at Gate D2. I was 5 gates away from this whole thing becoming unraveled. After I saw her plane detach from the skyway, I quickly hurried to my own gate, because it was in the midst of boarding.

I made it! I was on board and she still didn’t know. How do I know she had no clue? Well, after I landed in Chicago, I got a voicemail saying she landed safely and that she was with her friends and would call me later. Perfect! Everything was going according to plan. She was supposed to go out with her friends to celebrate and I was “supposed” to be in Boston, sulking her absence. I got scooped up from the airport by Dan-I and before we rendezvoused with our friends at the designated surprise location, we managed to slip a quick bite to eat at my favorite Chicago hot dog establishment – Maxwells. One Polish, extra mustard, please.

From months ago, Jean and Jenie had helped me in planning this Chicago leg of the weekend. We had it all perfectly orchestrated from the meeting place to the timed unveil. So with everyone in position, Caroline and her friends came down Michigan Avenue toward the lounge we were going to host the party at. And to her surprise, there was a crowd of 13 people there waiting for her. Ok, so at this point she’s thinking, “I guess it’s not just a dinner with my roommates, but a dinner with all my close friends! Yay!”

“But wait…who’s that strutting toward me…with yellow flowers?” Surprise! Out from the haze of the afternoon sun, I walked toward her and fulfilled the final installment of a weekend full of surprises! From Boston to Chicago in 0.2 seconds. Watch the video.

Yes, she tried to kick me. Yes, she hit me multiple times. But in all, it was a great night of celebrating a very special weekend with our even more special friends. It was an epic night: cheeseburger cupcakes topped with haribo gummy bears doing unmentionable things, sparkling grape juice in self-assembled plastic champagne glasses, and dizzy bowling with your best friends. All told, it was 3 days in 3 cities. Everyday was filled with a different adventure. Each story was intricately woven in order to form what was the perfect weekend.

Now I write this as an engaged man. What’s different? Nothing, really. But I’ll tell you what will remain the same. I commit myself, as I did from day one, to love her as Christ loved the Church. We haven’t said our vows yet, but the attitude starts now. Please pray for the both of us that our relationship would be another great picture of the Good News of Jesus Christ: a God who loved His rebellious people so much that He was willing to give and sacrifice His only Son, so that those He loved could come into a more intimate relationship with Him forever. Pray that our relationship would picture a Gospel of Love, Forgiveness, and Service. Just as God Loved, Christ Forgave, and the Holy Spirit continues to Serve.

A gigantic shout out to our family and friends for making everything possible. We love you all and are overwhelmed by the thought of God’s grace shown to us through you.

To Caroline, let’s give our all until there’s nothing left. And when it’s all said and done we seek only the approval of One as He says, “Well done, good and faithful servant!”

the unofficial story from my perspective

“Yes. Of Course!” That’s what she said when I asked her to marry me.

Rewind a few months back to her 25th Birthday, when I sent Caroline an envelope marked “Do Not Open!” Inside were cards that we’d use throughout the weekend she was to visit in order to make things fun. They all had some sort of directions on them (i.e. Fashion Show!, Take a Walk on the Wild Side, Ask Anything, etc). And I was going to ask her to draw from the deck every once in a while to help us in what we were going to do next that day.

So with that, plans were set for a Labor Day weekend full of surprises. I had the blessings of her family & friends. The travel arrangements were made. And the party planning was coming together in two cities. In all, it was going to be a busy weekend: 3 days in 3 different cities ending with 1 ring and 1 very happy couple.

Friday

I did a “dry run” through what we were going to do on Saturday. Call me Johnny Cautious, but I just wanted to make sure I knew what I was doing before I actually did it. Especially, since I didn’t know the city as well as I would like after moving here just a few months ago.

Did a lot of praying as I was walking the streets of the city, and it was sinking in slowly that this was where God was calling me to serve. And I prayed a lot for our (Caroline and I) future marriage and ministry together. Overall, a hugely blessing day of reflection, repentance, and rejoicing.

Around midnight, went to go pick Caroline up at the airport. I missed seeing her face live and in person.

Saturday

A full day of touring the city of Boston was in order. We woke up early. (Card #1 – Fashion Show) I had told her we were going to have a really nice dinner that night, so I convinced her to bring a change of clothes, so she could look her best. We grabbed our Starbucks and hopped on the train to go into the city.

After a full walkabout tour of Boston, we ended up at Jin’s (my sister’s boyfriend) place to get changed and wash up a little. About this time, I was nervously anticipating what I was going to say when I proposed. And while she was changing in another room, I carefully pulled out the ring one last time and placed it securely in my pocket (touching it a million and a half time just to make sure it was ok). It’s a feeling only those who’ve been there can understand. You really feel as if that thing is secretly burning a hole in your pockets and planning an escape, so you get ultra paranoid and pat it constantly to make sure it’s staying put.

(Card #2 – Take a walk on the wild side) And after a great dinner on the Harbor, we went for a stroll along the Harbor Walk. All this time, while we were at dinner, my roommates Hojin & Andy, were scouting the best spot to propose and have pictures to show for it. I got the go ahead for the perfect spot, so I took Caroline for a leisurely after-dinner stroll along the pier. At dinner we had an awesome conversation about what our future here in the city was going to look like and it continued as we walked toward “the spot”. As I got to the bench, we took a seat and nervously, I started to “setup” the proposal. At this point, all I could hear in my periphery was “click. click. clickety click.” Hojin was going nuts on his camera! I was about to turn around and tell him to shutup! But good thing Caroline was so engrossed in what I had to say (or atleast did an awesome job pretending).

I shared with her just some of the things God’s been teaching me here in the past few months and where I see God calling me and us in the future. After what seemed like an hour long speech, I asked her, “Would you be willing to do that with me?” She quickly replied, “Of course.” Then I asked her to stand up for me (we’ve been sitting this whole time, overlooking the beautiful Boston skyline). As she stood up, I took her hand, got down on one knee, and pulled the ring out of my pocket. I looked up at her and all she kept saying was, “No! Are you serious?! No way…” and in a weird reflex proceeded to pinch my cheeks! I wasn’t gonna have that in my proposal pics, so I brushed her hand away.

While I was on my knee, supposedly Hojin made a mad dash from 100 yards away to get to the perfect spot, but it was already too late. She had already answered, “Yes. Of course!” I got up, gave her the biggest hug I could and we prayed for both ourselves and the city. This is where the tears started to flow. “Amen,” I ended. Looking at her, I wiped the tears from her cheeks, “You ready for this?” I asked. She just nodded.

I told her to turn around and there they were, Hojin & Andy waving in the distance. And after a few more hugs and high-fives, the night came to an end. We went out to celebrate after and spent the night texting friends and family. After talking to her parents, she got another card that read, “Day Trip. Pack Your Bags.” (Card #3 – Day Trip) Her parents told her to come down to New York City, where she lives, to have dinner with them on Sunday. So being the great daughter she is, she obliged and early in the morning we were going to head down to NYC.

It will forever be an unforgettable night. But it wasn’t the end just yet. The weekend of surprises had just started…

to be continued (PART 2 posted on Caroline’s Blog)

Caroline bought some gingerbread house building kit one day and we busted it out. What started as a simple diversion, turned out to be monster of a project involving saws, sand, & vacuum hoses. We created one heck of a gingerbread building if you ask me. I think Frank Lloyd Wright would’ve been proud. You must see it in person to fully appreciate the wonder and majesty of this architectural marvel. For now, let’s let the pictures do the talking.

Otis. a modern interpretation of a gingerbread house