"When the Lord brought back the captive ones of ..:namespace prefix = st1 ns = "urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:smarttags" />Zion, we were like those who dream. Then our mouth was filled with laughter and our tongue with joyful shouting; then they said among the nations, 'The LORD has done great things for them.' The LORD has done great things for us; we are glad." -Psalm 126:1-3..:namespace prefix = o ns = "urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:office" />
In February, Edwin and I made this Psalm our psalm. It was at the beginning of the most amazing friendship of my life, one that is going to last a lifetime.
We got back from a trip to the Philippines on Tuesday, July 24th. Our time there was amazing. It affirmed to us the power and joy of our partnership in Christ as friends and ministry partners. The following Saturday, July 28th, was to be the first of several prayer events at our church. Implemented by Edwin, this event involved many people, including me. Before our trip to Asia, we laid the groundwork of the plans for the event, and our friends completed the majority of them while we were gone.
This was the plan: Go to the San Luis Rey Mission across from New Song. Have a person read a monologue at each of the 14 stations of the cross. At the end of the prayer walk, we were to go to the top of a hill, where a huge white cross overlooked the valley of Oceanside. There we would worship the Lord.
This is how it was carried out: Edwin had me stay at the church to gather together and lead the readers of the monologues. He went on to the site to prepare things. When we got to the mission I got a little stressed out because I wasn't sure where to have people go. Edwin sure loves me, because he overlooked my stress (which displayed itself as frustration with him) and continued his initial plan (read on…). The group traveled the stations together, listening to monologues and praying.
At the end, we walked up to the huge white cross on the top of a hill, where we could see the city lights glowing. Our friend, Brett, was home from his camp job to lead worship for the event. He sang with Fallon, while Sydney ran a powerpoint of worship songs. I looked around for Edwin, but couldn't find him. Then I realized he was going to speak, so was probably getting ready. After two worship songs, Brett started playing a Beatles song, "Eight Days A Week." Done acoustically, the song is even better and more romantic than the Beatles version…but why was he playing a love song, and why was everyone there not more shocked that the worship set was interrupted? I soon found out…
After a few bars of the song pictures of Edwin and I began to play on the screen. I was pushed forward to stand apart from the group. Tears began to flow as I realized what was happening. The pictures were precious, and all the world melted away as I watched and waited for what would come next. After the song was over, Edwin came from behind the screen, dressed in a tuxedo, a Bible in hand. He had been preparing to speak, all right, but not what I had thought.
He came out reading our Psalm, Psalm 126. The tears began again. I was told later that the look on my face was pure happiness. Edwin then turned to the group (there were about 20 people there) and told them how much he loved me, and that he couldn't think of a better way to propose to me than amidst prayer. Then he turned to me, this man I love so much, and got down on a knee, and asked me to marry him. I didn't let a space of breath pass before I said, "Yes!" And he slipped the ring I'll wear forever on my finger.
Sigh. We are going to be Edwin and Amy Samson. We're planning on a December wedding. God is so amazingly good and has blessed me with a man who is in the living of his life making my dreams come true. He is an answer to years of prayers (from around the world!), the fulfillment of a lifetime of dreaming, and the ministry partner I have longed for. I find nothing lacking in him…I have found the one my soul loves (Song of Solomon 3:4).