Chapter 3

      Smitten

      I had no idea that this ordinary Sunday would turn out to be a life-altering day. I was sitting in the back row of a large church next to a whole row of young men I had never met. My friend from choir had led me to this seat, then left abruptly. I sat there alone, feeling awkward and out of place. The guy sitting next to me was equally uncomfortable, shifting his feet back and forth nervously. It was hard to ignore his restless feet since they were huge, size 12 or larger, I thought, and were not at all minimized in tan-coloured boots with rounded toes and chunk heels.

      What is this guy’s problem? His tension is making mine worse.

      It wasn’t the church service that was making me feel out of place. I had attended there regularly for the last two years, ever since I started my studies at the University of Saskatchewan. I had joined the choir and sang in an ensemble that was featured on the church’s televised program on Sunday afternoons. The choir usually only sang on Sunday mornings, but this was Sunday evening, and we had been asked to sing for a very unique and unusual service about relationships. It was a program designed for youth, especially college- and career-aged people.

      After the choir finished singing, we were instructed to go to the back of the auditorium and find a place to sit. The dynamic speaker had a special message about sex in relationships. At the end of his talk, he asked all of the young men who wanted to live for God and be an example in their relationships to stand up. The guy with the big feet stood, along with a hundred other young men in the auditorium. He shifted even more nervously from foot to foot as he stood. Then the speaker asked all the young women who wanted to live for God and be a support to these young men to now stand up. I felt a tug in my heart leading me to stand. While on our feet, the young women were instructed to pray for these young men to be positive examples in their relationships.

      Not knowing how to pray for a hundred guys I did not know, I decided to pray for Mr. Big Foot next to me. I prayed in earnest for the young man I had not yet met, with no idea as to why I was praying for him in particular.

      Dear Lord, please be very near to this guy next to me who seems so nervous. Help him to honour You in all he does. Protect him in his relationships and help him to resist sexual temptations that come his way. Guide and direct him in his life choices and help him to be the man of God he desires to be. Amen.

      When the service came to a close we were all invited to go for coffee and snacks in the church gym. To my relief, my friend from choir showed up again and introduced me to the stranger who sat next to me. It was her brother Kim, who had recently moved to the city for work. My friend had told me about this brother she thought I should meet, but I hadn’t paid much attention.

      I couldn’t actually get a good look at her brother during the introduction since his gaze turned downward as we were introduced. Awkward words and phrases bounced back and forth. Our conversation wasn’t going anywhere, so I decided to make a quick exit. I explained that I had an exam the next day I needed to study for, excused myself, and headed for the door.

      Two nights later, the phone rang for me, twice. The first call was our choir director. Rehearsal was cancelled that night as she was not feeling well. I had an unexpected free night. Before I even had a chance to think about it, the phone rang again. It was my friend’s brother, Kim. He sounded a lot more confident on the phone. He said he knew I had a free night since choir was cancelled and asked if I would like to go to a movie with him. Without an available excuse, I decided to accept his offer. I was thinking that a movie date would be fairly harmless. Not a lot of conversation would be needed. Besides, I had already prayed a pretty serious prayer for this guy. Maybe there was a reason.

      An hour later, my door buzzer rang. As I opened the door, I was most pleasantly surprised. Kim looked directly at me, and I finally got a good look at him.

      Whoa! Is this the same guy I met on Sunday? So glad I said yes to this date.

      I wondered why I hadn’t noticed how good-looking this guy was two nights ago. Not only was my date in fine form, he was also more relaxed than I expected, and our evening was off to a promising start.

      I didn’t return home until eight hours later. We walked all around campus by the university theatre while waiting for a later show, then realized that the show on campus was cancelled. We talked and talked as we walked. We found a movie at another theatre in town, then went for pizza after the show. Kim showed me the house where he lived with a few other guys. We sat by the pool in the backyard, continuing the easy flow of our ongoing conversation. We talked until two a.m. Throughout the evening we shared many stories about our lives. We told each other about our families, our past, our present, and our goals for the future. We had countless things in common. By the end of the night I was completely smitten.

      When I finally got home, I told my roommate I was going to marry this perfect guy. Being more level-headed than I was at the time, she reasoned that he must have at least one flaw. I had to admit that he did, in fact, have one major flaw. He had a very unusual last name, a name that made no sense at all. My roommate and I had a good laugh as I told her that my perfect date’s last name was Barnstable.

      Before I drifted off to a peaceful sleep that dreamy night, I remembered a serious prayer I had prayed not long before, after the terrifying experience in a nightclub. I had asked God to help me find good friends and end my two-sided lifestyle. I knew I needed friends who believed in God and wanted to live their lives for Him. I reminded God about this prayer and thanked Him for the new friend I had just found.

      Since my first date with Kim went so well,