On June ninth, I started this year of being single. It was a request for healing & an intentional hunt to find true satisfaction in the love of the Father. Deep in my heart, I knew that I had found the one. To be honest, that is what I was afraid of. So, I kept saying "he will find me". No woman wants to find her prince charming, because that is not "romantic" nor is it desired.
I started praying earnestly, day and night for God's will to be done. Some days I prayed that he would see me the way that God saw me. Other days, I prayed that he would detach himself from the relationships he was in that could be damaging to our future marriage. A lot of my prayers were that God would send him to me.
This is how it all started... in May, I began my internship with Thomasville Baptist Church. Knowing that there had been an Australian student who came and helped intern the previous year with Alicia and just returning from Australia, I wanted more than anything for him to come back. I did not know this guy, except that he loved Oreo cakesters and called butter,"margarine" and yet, I was so hoping he would be spending the summer with us. Out of pure curiosity and hopeful wishing, I sent this guy a message on facebook. The first message was very simple and just said, "I've heard so much about you. I will be the youth intern this summer for Thomasville Baptist Church. Will you be coming back?". He replied within just a few hours and I was stoked. This guy that I had never seen before was somehow blessing me more than I expected. Our conversation was not to last, as far as I was concerned. Thankfully, God had other plans.
As the conversation continued, Callum became more and more interested in my life. For the first time in a long time, I had someone asking me the question "how are you?". WOW! INSTEAD OF ASKING ABOUT SOMEONES LIFE, I WAS BEING ASKED. He came just in time. At the beginning of my time in Thomasville, it would be appropriate to say that I was experiencing a bit of a culture shock. Coming straight from the University of Mobile, in my little bubble, and entering into a new land without my friends and daily support really was different. The support was there, just very different that what I had been experiencing for the past two years. Callum became my friend.
In the third message he sent he said, "Honestly, I talk about the USA and my time there so much that most of my friends insist I marry an American so I can just move there". All of my friends had recently said the same thing about me, because all I talked about was Australia. My best friends uncle even called me "Australia" because of my love for it. I couldn't help but think that he was the one I would marry. The next replied held a proposal, so I knew we were on the same page. Although he was being silly, I held hope that he was the one.
I started really loving Callum. The only problem was, he was interested in a few other things and was distracted from me. His responses were getting slower and I knew how much I love people, regardless of how much love they show me, so I put up a wall. In order to guard my heart, I stopped messaging him. The last message I sent said that I was going to Mobile and would respond once I got there. This never happened. He sent me a message twenty days later and said, "Haha I didn't think Mobile was THAT far away!" Getting this message reassured me that we were both falling for each other.
Even though it did not seem like it in the natural, I knew one day we would be together. So, I started praying. One night I was so hurt, so I prayed that God would take the girls in his life and scatter them. I prayed that no woman would be with him except his wife. I prayed that one girl in particular would STOP distracting him. As tears tolled down my face, I pleaded with God and asked Him to allow us to be on the same page. I was jealous for my time with him and did not want to hear about another girl, even if she was a friend, every time that we talked. God answered my prayer that day. I got on Skype and spent some good time talking with Callum. He did not mention the girl at all. After a few weeks went by, he told me how God had shown him the control this girl had taken; God told him the same night that I prayed. This is when I knew that I knew, God was behind our relationship.
Every time that I prayed a specific request for Callum, he would mention how God was directing his thoughts in that exact way. He had no idea what I had prayed. One example is, I knew that my husband would have the same heart for Africa that I have. Callum did not have the same heart as me concerning Africa. I prayed that God would change his heart, so that I could tell him my dreams. I knew that if I told him all of my dreams, then his dreams would change to agree with mine. Thankfully, God heard me IMMEDIATELY. That night Callum got on Skype and said, "This is going to sound strange, but earlier when I was praying, God laid Africa on my heart". He talked of how he always knew people who went to Africa and that he had no plans to go, but suddenly God had given him heart to go. WHAT??? WOW! Our God is Sovereign. Another example is this, I always knew my husband would preach. Wondering why Callum's heart was not to be a preacher, I went before God. I prayed that God would reveal to Callum the calling on his life and help him to see that he would preach. That night Callum got on Skype and said "This is going to sound strange, but earlier when I was praying, God was talking to me about preaching" He went on to mention that his friend had recently asked him to preach at a church to next Sunday. So within a week (September 17) he was preaching. WHAT? God is so amazing. He is always so very personal with us. Knowing that God was with us and guiding our every move, I started desiring more time with Callum.
Our Skype conversations started in July. Every time we talked, we talked for hours and hours. We have never had a really short conversation, so we are always getting to know each other as much as possible. As far back as I can remember, we have talked at least four hours a week. In Novemeber, I got the iPhone. This helped us a lot. iMessage made it possible for us to communicate a ton. It is a messaging tool that allows you to talk with other people with iPhones AROUND THE WORLD for free! How exciting? So you can only imagine what a blessing this became for us. Instead of sending one message a day, we were able to talk as often as we wanted all throughout the day. WOW! That was great. Heytell also made it's way into our friendship. With facebook, Skype, iMessage and heytell we were able to talk as much as we desired. This was/is truly a gift from God.
I remember when he started sending me texts via iMessage to wake me up. He sent scripture and encouraging words to help me get out of bed on super early mornings (2 am sometimes). His genuine concern for my spiritual well-being has always been very attractive to me. His leadership is all that I have ever asked for.
About three months ago, we realized that we were in love with each other. We did not have to say "I love you" or even admit our deepest feelings, we just knew. God has so ordained our steps the entire time that we could not doubt that He had led us to one another. Callum & I discussed our desire to marry and to be together as soon as possible. It was refreshing for both of us to finally say what was on our hearts for so long. From that day on, we have had so much fun dreaming of our future life together without fear or doubt.
Thankfully, Callum will be working for Thomasville Baptist Church as soon as America lets him come! He has an interview very soon and we will know the details on when as soon as. It is so exciting to know that he will be in the same country as me. He has become my best friend.
To some people, our love for one another does not seem possible. This is because they are afraid. See, Callum & I have no fear. We walk by faith. We love each other. He has never said the words, "I love you" to me, but He does. He loves me unlike anyone has ever loved me. He respects me unlike anyone has ever respected me.
Callum has been so respectful since the first day. He is willing to crucify his feelings, emotions, and pains in order that I will be honored. The honor he has for me is beautiful. For instance, Callum would love to jump off the plane and ask me to marry him... and just so y'all know, if he did, I WOULD SAY YES straightaway. But, because he knows that it is not appropriate as this time, and I need to finish this fast, he will wait until June 9th. Oh how precious that day will be.
I know that I love Callum. I know that I will marry Callum.
Some people have tried to shovel their opinions my way and I am grateful for their concern but would rather not hear things like, "what if he has a lisp?" or "you need to take this really slow" or "he may not be who you think he is" because I KNOW THAT I KNOW that Callum Anthony Reece is the man that I want to spend the rest of my life with. We have been faithfully loving each other for eight months now and our time of marriage is approaching. So, please save your opinions. If you think we have it all wrong or need some guidance, pray to God for us with a PURE HEART. Anything else is from the evil one.
Many of my friends, mentors, students and loved ones know Callum VERY well. Rob met Callum when he went to Tasmania through the University of Mobile six years ago (I trust Rob more than I trust a lot of people and he has been the one encouraging and blessing my friendship with Callum, so I will most likely be trusting his advice for the future decisions as well); Alicia Conn worked with Callum (I trust Alicia, because she is my sister and best friend); Preston worked and lived with Callum (Preston is a great friend of mine and I will always hear what he has to say); many of the youth girls that I trust and adore know Callum and speak highly of him; the pastor at TBC has known Callum in the past and is willing to hire him on staff for an entire year, and I trust Brother Ty. So, as you can see, I am not walking into a situation without hearing what others have to say.
We have agreed to stand in purity together. Our love for God is stronger than our love for one another. Our first desire is to bless God with our relationship; this we will do. God has been so kind to allow us to love each other before my season of singleness has ended and we rejoice that He has given us each other. There are many things we will stand in because God is worth it. These things include purity, honor and faithfulness. God is our rock. God is the center of who we are together.
Callum Anthony Reece is the sweetest, most adorable, most attractive, beautiful eyed, kind-hearted, sensitive, loving, strong, patient, God fearing man that I have always longed for. Everything about him is an answered prayer. His humor is precious and without impurity; His love for God is rooted and consistent; The way he handles adversity shows that He is faithful to his beliefs; When he accepts me on my hardest days I am reminded that God loves us in our weakness. There is not one thing about Callum that I would change. Even his appearance fits everything I asked for. A month before I met him, a friend of mine asked what I wanted my husband to look like and the man I described was Callum "taller than me, dark hair, crystal brown eyes, and foreign". This was me being silly, and God let me be. I got everything I asked for, even in the things that REALLY do not matter. He is the one for me; no one else will do.
The day we meet face-to-face will be amazing. I cannot imagine seeing him without tears falling down my cheeks and laughter coming from my mouth. Seeing him is the longing that consumes a lot of my days. To the Lord be the glory for allowing us to understand a tiny hint of the way He longs for us.
On day 365 we will be together. What God has put together, let no man separate.
So, to any man that has been interested in me in the slightest, I need you to respect Callum & I. Just because we are not titled "in a relationship" does not mean we are not in love. I love Callum and Callum loves me. It would be greatly appreciated if from this day forward all men see me as taken, choose NOT to cover me when I am cold, stay far away from holding my hands, restrain from long loving hugs and just consider me married. I will be married one day and it is my greatest joy to honor and respect Cal!! So, I ask that you would do the same.
Chynna, you just make me smile ALLLLLLLL over the place. I'm not sure what that means but it seems fitting for the joy that this story brings me. I would love to talk to you some other time about all of this. I am so happy and excited for you. (:
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