I am a guy who likes stories. When you like stories you try to read, hear or watch as many of them as you can. In learning from them you learn that there are good stories and then also bad stories, you learn that either one of these alternatives can be told well (good) or poorly (bad). So a good story can be told poorly and perceived as bad and a bad story can be told well and perceived as good. But at the end of the day the true nature of the story will be made evident if it is told faithfully or as close to accurate as possible and if the receiver of the story thinks and judges it righteously.
Now I wish to relate to you a story that I Love and believe with all my Heart to be a Good Story because I know where it comes from. This is why I wish to tell it well so that its true nature may be manifest to you and may encourage, bless and warm your Heart. This story is the story of a woman and a man named Amber and James. My brother Benjamin said to me “I don’t know how you did it” I said “did what?” “Found a girl that is perfect for you” he said. I replied smiling “hey Ben, it wasn’t me who found her.” What I meant by that is what I hope to show in this story, that my Lord and Savior Jesus Christ in HIS infinite Wisdom and Power saw it fitting to write this Story in time and events so that HE may have the Glory in the Joy shared out of this Marriage. This may sound crazy but I am convinced of this as fact and truth and foolishness to men that is God’s Divine Wisdom. For this reason and others I have struggled to write down my version of this story because I know that my words will fail to describe the greatness of this story that my Lord has written already, but I will rest in what He comforted the apostle Paul Christ said “MY GRACE IS SUFFICIENT FOR YOU” so therefore I will continue with my Humble attempt an relating this story that I Love. I Love this story because it is about my God whom I Love and my Fiancé whom I Love. To my Father in Heaven I give the Glory and to my Fiancé on Earth I Give Her the Love I have received from on HIGH!
Our Narrative begins when I was visiting my parents at home between the first officer basic course (BOLC II) and my last officer basic course (CBOLC/BOLC III/ COBC). I had expressed to my Mom my deep desire for a Christian Woman to Love. She expressed this to her Good Friend Suzanne who expressed this to her Husband Gary. Gary then remembered a Beautiful Christian Woman who was the receptionist where he works named Amber. He said to his wife “Amber” and she said (thinking that he meant their Granddaughter) “Why would you say that now I have to kill you?” He then said no not that Amber our granddaughter Amber at work, to which she replied “oh.” She then armed Gary with my contact information and sent him to work the next day to talk more with Amber. She then phoned my mom and told her about it whilst I was hearing half the conversation. After my mom got of the phone I asked her what Suzanne had been talking about? “Oh she thinks she has found a girl for you” was my mom’s reply. After letting that sink in and pondering it for a few minutes I decided to call Suzanne and find out how I could contact this nameless Woman. When I spoke to Suzanne she told me how she felt sorry that I had not met a good Christian girl yet. She told me that I was a nice guy and that she might have found someone for me. All she could tell me was that her name was Amber (or something), that she was a nice Christian girl who worked as a receptionist at Gary’s work and what her work number was. Suzanne reassured me that she was a nice girl and that it wouldn’t hurt giving her a call and trying to get to know her possibly through letters.
Armed with this wealth of information I called her at work and ask for “Amber the receptionist.” This was met by a pause, a giggle and a “this is she.” I told her who I was and asked how her day was. Then I asked if we could go out for dinner that night. She was shocked and said that she hardly knew me and that she usually doesn’t do that sort of thing. I quickly countered with “how about coffee?” So she told me that she couldn’t that night because of a youth all-nighter at her church. I then explained to her that I had to leave for Missouri early that Sunday morning. So we agreed to meet at a Barnes and Noble in Cedar Hill the next day Saturday.
So that Saturday night I got in my Toyota Tacoma pickup and headed towards Cedar Hill armed with her directions telling me to exit I-20 onto 1382 South to get to where we would meet. Needless to say my directionally challenged self should have used my Garmin Nuvi device to get me there on time. I got lost and did not realize it until I noticed that the signs on I-20 were saying that the next town was Tyler in East Texas. I then decided to call the young lady waiting for me and apologize for being late and getting lost (and she still waited for me to find her even though I was 30 minutes to an hour late.) She had a very sweet Beautiful voice and she stayed on the phone with me until I found where she was and then we met! I followed her to Red Robin where we ate, then to Starbucks Coffee where we got coffee sat on my Tail gate to talk. I think it was an awesome first date. We exchanged contact information so that we could email and write. The next Morning I got up and drove away to Missouri. Two days after our date I finally called her (my brother Ben had told me that you should wait two days after any date to call the girl again I don’t know why but I heeded this advice for some odd reason). After that we started calling and writing each other email, letters and text messages. (insert courtship narrative here)
Fast Forward to January 30th, 2009 I drive back home from Fort Sill in my Mazda 5 rental car and I pick up the engagement ring and wedding band that had been delivered that day to my parents house. My folks ask me “So, are you going to ask her tonight or wait till Valentines Day?” I say I’m going to ask her tonight. “Well have you thought about how?” they ask. Well I’m hoping she won’t know where she wants to go eat so I can suggest that we go somewhere and think about it. “Don’t you think that is a little obvious James?” they ask me. So I put the Box in my jean front pocket with my wallet so that the slight bulge is not as obvious if by chance my Bride-to-Be were to look in that general area. So I call Amber and let her know that I am on my way and I go pick her up.
I pick her up and she has no idea where she wants to go to eat. So I suggest that we go somewhere to think about it and she agrees. So I drive her up to an area called Prayer Mountain that overlooks the Trinity River Valley and Joe Pool Lake. It is a clear night and the valley is lit up with the Amber glow city lights. We look out at the nights enchanting beauty then I look at her and notice that it is awful dark where we are standing so I suggest going over to a well lit gazebo and she agrees. I ask her to sit down and then notice that I want her to sit down on the other side of the Gazebo so that she will have the better view. I said wait sit over here. Then I asked her if what she saw was beautiful. She said that it was and I said I think I have the better view. “Amber Jade Cano I’m going to ask you a question that I already know the answer to but I have to ask you. I LOVE YOU and want to spend the rest of my life with you… A Wiseman once said to me “Do you Love HER?” and I said “Yes Sir, with all my Heart” Amber will YOU Marry Me?” She said “YES!”