Our story as told by Justin in bold and Esther in italics:

It was sometime around the spring of 2016 (at least I think it was in the spring), and I’d been talking with my friend Ewan, at church on most Sundays, about this new girl who was attending. I knew nothing about her but that she was stunning and seemed to be involved rather quickly in many church ministries. One Sunday Ewan told me he and his wife would like to have me over for supper one night that week, and that they’d invite that girl too, her name was Esther. I agreed and when the night came, we had a good time at Ewan and Karen’s house for dinner. It was awkward because I had really liked Esther for some time and had never really talked to her. I really wanted to ask her on a date but I was terrified, being as how she was the most strikingly beautiful girl I’d ever seen, and I have never been the social dating type. The night at Ewan’s came to an end and I was walking Esther to her car with butterflies in my stomach so big they could be mistaken for eagles. While standing by her car I asked if she would like to get some coffee with me.

“Well”, she replied, “I would like to hang out more in a group setting.”

Although I had heard what she said, it sure felt like she said, “well… no thanks.” I said something like “ok, well good night then”, playing it cool, yet crushed inside.

Ok, here’s what was happening on my side. Karen (Mrs. Matchmaker), had asked me if it was ok if they invited Justin over the night they asked me over for dinner, and I said sure. I suppose I had an idea they were trying to set me up, but didn’t think much about it. That night after dinner, was the first time I had been asked out on a date. When he asked me out for coffee I was internally freaking out. I didn’t know how to respond. Overthinking it, I was trying to figure out if I liked him and if I could see myself marrying him all in that moment. I think what I said was,

“Maybe we could get together with a group of friends”.

While I understand the group setting, especially for a girl new to the area, I was distant from that group because of a past break-up. But I didn’t tell her that. I took it as a no and decided to move on, always thinking in the back of my mind, what a lucky guy whoever gets that girl someday.

When I got home that night, I called my closest friend, my big brother Darek.

“…He took it as a no” I said. “That was a dumb thing to say (referring to my response). Maybe I missed an opportunity.” Did I want to go on a date with him? I didn’t know.

Darek knew Justin a little through the church as he had moved to Colorado a short time before me. He responding telling me that he didn’t know if Justin was “right” for me anyway, and told me not to worry about it. So, I moved on and didn’t give it to much more thought. It was a little awkward for a while when I saw him at church after that.

(Before you’re too hard on my protective big brother 😉, Justin and I both agreed looking back, that God had His hand in this too. God had things for both of us to learn, grow in, and do, each on our own.)

Life moved on and I pursued work more, moving around the state for work, but continuing to attend Orchard Bible Church, where Esther and I met. For about 9 years I would occasionally see her on Sundays and give her a smile, or say hi sheepishly, always afraid to move in further because she knew I liked her, but she still seemed distant. Ewan had remained a good friend all that time also, and Karen, his wife, was still friends with Esther. Around the spring of 2024, Ewan told me at church one Sunday, that they had Esther over to their house for supper, and that Karen had asked Esther if she still felt the same way as she did all those years ago, or if she would be accepting if I asked her out again. Translated into male language, Ewan told me Esther had regretted turning me down all those years ago.

“No way” I replied to Ewan as I surely thought he was making it up to inspire a new confidence in me to pursue her again.

I don’t think I need to add anything here, except to say, thank you Karen and Ewan for not giving up. We will be forever grateful to you both!

For months it seemed Ewan kept bugging me to try again, and I said if I do and she turns me down again, I’m never gonna ask another woman out ever again, and I’ll move to Alaska. So, in August I called Alex, Ewan’s son, to ask if he had Esther’s phone number, which he got from his mother Karen. And now, fully equipped with Esther’s phone number and I’m sure no idea what to say if she answered, I decided to call. The call went to voicemail, and it was Esther’s company phone, so I immediately hung up, (some companies are weird about using their phone for personal calls). So a couple more weeks went by as I tried getting another number for Esther, but that seemed to be the only number. I called again, and this time left a message, (which Esther still has archived in her phone,) but I can’t recall what exactly I said. Probably something like “Hey its Justin from Orchard, wanna go out sometime.” Later that day she called me back and she agreed to go out, so I decided to introduce her on date #1 to my best friend, because if she didn’t like him it wasn’t going to work out, so I asked if she’d like to take my best friend Mose to the dog park. Yes, Mose is a dog, Sir Moses Whiteclaw The Loyal to be exact, a spoiled Labrador who eats better than most people.

The day came for the dog park date and God decided to send us lots of rain, so we decided then on bowling. Neither one of us are great bowlers but the important thing is that I won. Lol. Not only did I win in bowling but in life, I somehow got the most beautiful girl I’d ever met to go out with me and she wanted to go out again.

I had decided after the last time he asked me out that I would be more open and take things one step at a time. This first date was September 4th. We talked a little at bowling, and then went out to dinner afterwards at Thai Basil. I think we talked about where we grew up, the story of our lives thus far and the Bible colleges that each of had gone too. I had a great time. If I remember correctly, we left the restaurant because they were closing. We sat in his truck with Mose for a while and talked. He asked me if I’d like to go out again sometime and I said I would. After each date and in between, I prayed about it a lot. The more I got to know him, the more I liked him. I felt a peace, kind of like a green light from God, each step of the way, to keep moving forward.

Over the next many slow months we started to hang out more and more, talking about the things we wanted in our future, if LORD willing, God wanted them for us too. I win everyday I get to be with Esther, and even days I don’t, knowing she wants to be with me for the rest of our lives, I win. And in a weird way, she wins too. One song I like to sing to and about her is so true,

She keeps on loving me,

Loves me the way I am,

She’s not just along for the ride,

She’s my biggest fan,

And it’s a little piece of heaven,

When we lay down (hang out for now) at night,

She keeps on loving me,

And I keep on wondering why.

Yes, it was slow. I was letting him pursue and lead, and I had to learn to be patient, and trust the Lord with it. I had so many questions at first, but the answers would come in time. Part of the “slow” was my fault. There were a few times when he asked if I wanted to go to the mountains with him, or come to some family get together, and I already had something scheduled at that time. We had only gone on three dates, when I got to meet his family. There was a blizzard that day, but he picked me up in his truck and took me home after dinner. They were wonderful, welcoming me right away. I spent Thanksgiving with them as well, and invited him to spend Christmas with my family, as I could tell he really wanted to meet them.

I saw that he loves the Lord, and value’s the church immensely, that he’s generous, honest, kind, has a sense of humor, sweet, an encourager, a good spiritual leader, a man I could follow and so much more. I really really liked him!!

When Christmas 2024 rolled around, Esther was planning on driving home to North Dakota, to be with her family.

“I have an idea,” I said, “instead of driving there and back, why don’t you fly home and I’ll drive up and then we can drive home together.”

She agreed and the time came and I drove up on December 26th and met her family. Esther had spent the previous week there and had to get back to Colorado for work the following Monday, so we drove back on the 28th. A 16-hour drive together to talk about our plans for the future, seeing if each other would make personal sacrifices for us as a couple. It was a great day, and “I love you” was said for the first time ever. I knew from that point that I wanted to marry her but was unsure if she would love me back. However, I didn’t have to wait long to hear the second “I love you”.

December 28th was a pivotal day that I’ll always remember and treasure. I was looking forward to being able to talk about whatever we hadn’t gotten a change to discuss yet, which we did. I realized he had already changed some of his plans to pursue what would be best for us for the future, and it was an easy decision for me to do the same. That was the first time he held my hand and told me that he loved me! Wow, what an amazing day! After he dropped me off at home, and I had a moment to process it all, I wanted so badly to tell him “I love you” back. I knew for certain from that day on that I wanted to marry him. The next day we were hanging out with our friends James and Rose and Sarah. Finally at the end of the day, when we were walking to our cars, we had a moment with just the two of us, so that I could tell him those very important words that I had been waiting all day to say.

Five days later God threw us a curveball, as my healthy left foot decided to not work. But it only seemed to strengthen our blossoming relationship even deeper. As I went from the hospital to home to countless doctors, to figure out the situation, Esther stayed and supported me like no other, except maybe my mother. It allowed us to experience a hardship most couples have to wait years for. So, throughout the next 6 months I was without work and barely walking by April.

When Resurrection Sunday came around at the end of April, we decided to drive back to her parent’s house in North Dakota, to present her Father and Mother with a certain question that shouldn’t be asked over the phone. So, on that Sunday I asked her Father for the third time (another story for another time 😉) for his blessing to marry his daughter. He and her mother gave it, and within the hour I was asking another question to Esther which resulted in her sporting a new piece of jewelry. Needless to say the drive back to Denver was amazing. And so is every day since.

He had told me that the jeweler said the ring wouldn’t be ready before our trip. That was true, but they rushed it for him at the last minute, so he had it. There were some clues that I might have picked up on, but I was still surprised when he asked me. We were at my grandparent’s farm (that my dad owns now after their passing). Before we left the farm, I wanted to give him a tour of the barn. He let on that his foot was sore and hurting as we walked out to the barn and in the pasture. I was starting to worry, I told him we could go back. We had walked out behind the barn, and with sound effects of pain, he got down on his knees. The next thing I knew he had pulled out the ring and was telling me that he wanted to spend the rest of his life with me and asked me to marry him. With no hesitation or delay, the answer was of course, YES!

***May the rest of my years be with you, my love. I love everything about you and I can’t even imagine life without you. You are so special to me. I’m so excited to marry you, and be your husband. May our marriage be blessed and centered on Christ who saves like no other.***

Amen to that!! You are the most incredible blessing from God to me! I look forward, every day, to being your wife! I’m excited to live life with you by my side & serve God together.

Olive Juice.

Back at you, Jus, my love 😊