Monday, July 7, 2008

God Told Him I Was "The One"

I’m always a little suspicious when God gives revelation to someone else on my behalf. Such was the case during the summer of 1995 when I was in college and going through what my BFF’s call my “seminary teacher phase.” That summer I was a dating magnet for future seminary teachers and it probably didn’t help that I was taking a heavy load of institute classes, was in the (LDS) Lambda Delta Sigma sorority, attending institute dances at every college, and was determined to catch me a strapping prophet in the making. I’d been dating several guys at the time, but started going out with one guy in particular several times, but it was nothing exclusive. He was a good seven years older than me, was about to graduate, had been student body president at the university, and was an awesome makeout. On the night in question we’d gone down to a “clean” comedy club near BYU, then afterwards I met his parents, and finally a little lovin’ on the family couch. As he was driving me home he kept asking deep questions about my testimony, which I answered with conviction. And then it all went bad. I remember sitting at a red light and him saying,

“What are your thoughts on marriage?” And of course my reply was positive.
“What are your thoughts on marrying ME?” He asked leaving me speechless. I can recall putting my hand on the car door handle and thinking we weren’t going that fast and that I could probably just roll off to the side if I jumped out.

When I didn’t respond his voice took on that shaky spiritual tone you often hear in testimony meetings and he said, “I’ve been praying about us and Heavenly Father has told me that you’re- “The One.” My mind raced between wanting to scream and wondering if Heavenly Father really had told him I should be his wife. “Pray about it and let me know," he said as we sat in the driveway of my parent’s house.
To which I responded,“Peter (fake name), we’ve had a lot of great dates, but I just don’t think I’m ready to marry you.” And he took it really well for a man who’d been talking to God only to find his “chosen” target was uncooperative.

A few days later I went to my sorority meeting. It was tradition that if a girl got engaged we’d have a “rose circle” and that night it was announced that there’d be one. Getting into a circle we started singing the sorority theme song (I know pathetic huh?) while we passed around a red rose, each girl lingering with it to fool everyone else into thinking it was them until it reached “Jessica,” one of my sorority sisters that I knew, but not that well. When it got to her and she refused to pass it on, all of us jumped up and down screaming. Someone asked who the groom was, and she responded with “Peter ______” and my heart sank. So, Heavenly Father does indeed work in mysterious ways and sometimes he gives those he talks to a Plan B.

9 comments:

One Fish said...

LOL- I love it. I once got this same speech from a guy who was 10 years older than me and I later realized was probably gay. It didn't go well when he told me about his divine revelation and managed to work in a few lines from the movie Moulin Rouge. When he started to actually sing the theme song I was out of there. If the Lord was truly trying to guide this guy down the path of matrimony he should have at least clued the poor guy into a more convincing movie line.

Molly Mormon said...

Let me guess, "The greatest thing you'll ever learn is just to love and be loved in return" and onto "Come what may..." I guess you can tell a lot about a guy by what movies he chooses to quote. Good call!

Anonymous said...

I got the same speech once. At the time I was also convinced that he was The One...and I guess he could have been one of The Ones. I don't imagine life would have been bad with him at all, but his sense of humor always irritated me and one day, when I was under a lot of stress from other things, I just snapped. I told him I loved him but I just couldn't see spending eternity with him and that I thought he deserved better. (Which was true because I really thought I sucked because his humor just irritated me that much.) Anyway, we are both happily married now. His wife has a lot of health issues which cause her to be on medications that don't necessarily keep her grounded in reality all the time, which is perfect for a guy with his sense of humor. And I married a man who knows when I just need him to be quiet and has never taken offense.

Britta said...

How weird.

I think it's a lame way to propose. I hate when I hear someone say it. It always makes me feel like they are a control freak. Now, I think it's a good idea to pray about if someone is the right one for you, but I don't think God is going to tell you that there is one and only one. Many people are a fit for each of us, some better than others.

A friend of mine was proposed to this way. My thoughts are, maybe she was right for him, but he wasn't right for her. They didn't get married.

dragonnldy77 said...

I think if God is telling you we are meant for each other -- well then he better tell me too! I was proposed to like this once but it was more of a command than anything. "God told me that you are to be mine for eternity". Um...no.

Anonymous said...

Sounds like the guy was desperate and was simply using the line on every girl he passed till one finally took the worm and got caught on his hook.

Anonymous said...

I grew up with my Mam always telling me there are multiple soul-mates for me. That sometimes in life you find more than one soul-mate. I think it was her way of letting me know I didn't need to get serious with any one guy as there are multitudes of guys, and that I didn't need to feel bad for hurting their feelings.

Joanna said...

I guess he was ready-- and whoever said yes was his "one". I think that people want God to speak to them so badly they just start hearing what they want to hear....

Doug Wallace said...

Definitely "POST OF THE YEAR" material!!!!

In college I knew a goofy guy who ended up with the hotest hottie in the ward by using this trick. They announced their engagement on Sunday...I'd been out with her on Friday!