A Promise Fulfilled

Katherine Barron & Gabriel Holman

A Promise Fulfilled

By Katherine Barron (the soon-to-be Mrs. Gabriel Holman)

When I first became a Christian, after years of sin and compromise, I distinctly remember hearing God say “My daughter, if you turn from your old way of life, and seek hard after me, I will bless you beyond what you could imagine.” I had no idea at the time how true that promise was.

Many years after giving my life to the Lord, I developed the habit of writing down my thoughts so I could sift through life’s circumstances. I created a on-line journal on xanga.com and begun writing faithfully several times a week. On March 28^th, 2005, I wrote an entry about my future husband, and how I knew God had called me to wait patiently for His perfect timing. Long after I had forgotten about this post, I saw that a young man commented on it who I did not know. He said “Good stuff…stay strong. You don’t know me, but that’s ok. Just wanted to say good job”.

“Who in the world is this?” I thought. Yet out of curiosity I ventured over to his on-line journal to have a look. The very first thing I read started with “To the one I don’t know yet…” It progressed into one of the sweetest and beautiful love letters to a future wife I had ever read. Tears filled my eyes and I thought “This is the kind of man I want to marry.” I composed myself enough to spill out a comment commending him for his commitment to his future wife- and left it at that.

Those first few words opened up the door of e-mails, instant message chats, and finally a desire to meet. After achieving my parents approval (which was a feat in of itself), we met at a Royals game on June 4^th, 2005. There Gabe stood before me- tall, goofy, and a ball of nerves. He was nothing that I had pictured, but not an inch less of who I needed him to be. With my parents, my twin sister and one of my closet friends by my side, Gabe and I nervously got to know one another. I talked incessantly, he bounced his leg up and down so hard he could have shaken the whole stadium, but that day- with all its awkwardness and nerves- we forged a friendship. By July 18^th, 2005, we had officially gotten our parents blessing to court.

Come Christmas time of 2005, we knew without a doubt God wanted us to marry. Under the guidance of our parents we waited for engagement, and Gabe opted instead to give me a promise ring. The next year entailed waiting, waiting, and more waiting. Although our patience grew thin at times, we knew God’s hand was guiding us through every step. In that season of waiting, God taught us, freed us of sin, developed us as individuals and made our love grow even stronger then we could have thought. In that year, God provided a career for Gabe as well as a house, He provided me with a full-time job, and both of us with great opportunities for spiritual growth. God truly did use that season as a time of preparation for the months to come.

After a year of waiting, and almost two years of knowing one another, my Father gave Gabe permission to ask me to be his wife. On February 14^th, 2007, Gabe used his God given talent for writing (see how God pulls everything together?) to write a love letter to me in a leather-bound journal he had bought months earlier to write letter to me in. Those pages scribed in detail the love, and commitment that filled Gabe’s heart, all of which led up to the last sentence of “Will you marry me?”. Tied to the ribbon bookmark was the most beautiful ring I had ever seen. With tears streaming down his face and his heart beating so hard I could hear it, he got down on one knee. One “Yes!!!!!!” later, the ring was slipped on my finger, and here we are. Our wedding set for November 18^th, 2007. Almost three years after God brought us together.

God is so faithful, isn’t He? Back when I first heard God breath that promise, “My daughter, if you turn from your old way of life, and seek hard after me, I will bless you beyond what you could imagine.” I would never have imagined He would have meant this. Never in my wildest dreams would I have thought God would have brought a girl like me and a boy like Gabe together.

It goes to show that God’s promises never fail–His word is true and His ways are perfect. Only by His hand could a promise develop into a beautiful love story. Only by His grace could he have given an earthly love that would represent his incredible love for us.

More Love Stories