The courtship-Part 5 of my testimony

I found out later that Keith was sure that I was planning on me saying that I didn't want to see him again, so he left the church service before it ended to avoid the conversation. Yet, he was confused because he said that I looked happy and excited to see him. At any rate, after the service, I was dismayed that he was gone.

The next cell group meeting came and Keith was there but seemed a bit uncomfortable and reserved. I found out later that he was trying to read my face the whole time. As we were heading to our cars afterward, I started the conversation. I explained why I needed to talk to him and the recommendation to have a couple to be accountable with. I didn't know what he would say to it. He looked at me and said, "Who are you thinking of?" I told him who and he agreed to ask them. I was beginning to get dizzy with excitement.

We set up a day to meet with Larry and Wilma. I had known them for quite a few years and greatly respected and admired them and their walk with the Lord. They asked Keith question after question and then said that they felt very comfortable with us "seeing" each other and that they would be willing to be accountable to. Keith and I went out to our vehicles and I took out a couple books on courtship. One in particular was, "Passion and Purity" by Elisabeth Elliot. I explained that I had wanted to court ever since I learned about it after the covenant the I had made with the Lord. He agreed.

A week or two later, Keith was extremely sick. I really didn't even realize at the time how sick he was, but he did say that he didn't do anything except sit in his recliner chair and read Elisabeth Elliot's book from cover to cover.

We started talking on the phone for hours each night and were learning about each other as fast as we could. We then decided to start writing emails and not talk on the phone as much. I had read something about how writing brings out a different perspective that can be informative and valuable. We did this for some time and I still have those treasured letters. Soon, the phone became the communication of choice again. :)

I'll never forget the time we drove down to my aunt and uncles house. On the way home, we held hands for the first time. It just happened. Our hands were getting sweatier with each mile, but neither of us would let go!

I then had the opportunity to move into the basement of some people I had met. The weekend of the move was the first time that my mom and sisters met Keith. It was an exciting and busy weekend. Later that week, he came over to my new residence to install a phone line. He came in overalls and I was head-over-heels in love... quite sure that he was "the one".

We went to Underwater World at the Mall of America one time and went to the airport to watch the planes take off and land another time. As they say, it really didn't matter where we were, just that we were together.

We decided that it was wise to limit how often we were together as desires were growing in each of us. A weekly date night was set up and we started going through Josh McDowell's book "The Secret Of Loving" while sitting at Baker's Square restaurant. We were to prepare one chapter for each date and then discuss it. It was an excellent book for us to examine tons of marital and relationship issues from family to money to values.

We talked about everything it seemed. I was more than ready to be engaged. So would he ask me to marry him??