Reva & J.R. - J.R.'s Story (Photo)

Categories: Dating, Pen Pals, Friends: Success Stories
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Submitted by: Nannette | View Member Profile | View Other Posts
Created: 4/20/2003

God blessed and joined together two prayers for a "special love" as such was in the Garden of Eden.


"Delight yourself also in the Lord, and He shall give you the desires of your heart." Psalms 37:4

The computer screen read: "Your membership expires at twelve midnight." It was 11:15 P.M. For two and a half years, I had been a member of the Christian Singles Dating website. That evening, I concluded, that if God were to answer my prayer of meeting that "special someone," it wasn't through this system. I had regularly renewed my membership. I had met many nice, interesting and sincere Christians through this media. But that "special someone" whom I had been praying for for over seven years had not yet come into view. I asked myself, "Am I being too picky? Are my standards too high?" That night, I decided not to renew.

If God knows the number of hairs on my head and has a specific plan for my life, then surely, He must have someone special for me. God tells us in Jeremiah 29:11, "For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, says the Lord, thoughts of peace, and not of evil, to give you an expected end." And in Ephesians 1:11 He says to us, "Being predestined according to the purpose of Him who works all things after the counsel of His own will."

God has always provided for all my needs, but there was a void in my life. So, my daily prayers went like this: "God, I wish to hold hands with someone again and feel the warmth of her caress. I want someone to laugh and to chat with. I want someone to care for. Lord, You are love and You created us all in Your image. You gave of Yourself to us. God, I long to love and be loved by someone who's also special to You." It's been said that if you really want to make God laugh, tell Him your plans. I did.

It was 11:45 P.M. I remembered my excitement two years earlier upon learning that through this new media, Adventists like myself, can meet like believers. Many times I thought I had found the "one" but, time after time, those ideas waned completely. God had not seen fit to answer my prayers just yet. After the long wait, my initial excitement had faded somewhat. But, I have the patience of Job. I told the Lord, "God, this a huge and complex world we live in. How am I going to meet that special someone?" Again, I placed everything in God's hands that night.

As the hands on the clock drew nearer to midnight, I suddenly had this overwhelming urge to renew. "Is this the 'still small voice' of God speaking to me?" Or, maybe I still have that flicker of hope and excitement like when I first joined. I quickly immersed myself in talking to God. "God, is this Your directive?" Suddenly, my well thought out reason for not renewing my membership had vanished. I quickly worked on my renewal. It didn't make any sense whatsoever, but I vowed that it was my last time to renew. Little did I know that indeed it would be.

I spent the past years working and raising my son. I provided him with a Christian education. He was my life and my pride and joy. He needed me during those years more than I needed my personal wishes fulfilled. After graduating last June 2002, my son started at a local college. A few months later, he wanted to share an apartment with his friends. This broke my heart but I wished him well. Then I started thinking, "Now, what am I going to do? I can't work 24 hours a day."

I had been seriously praying for a life partner for over seven years. The many times I jogged in the park, I sat on an old log or a big rock and opened up my heart to God. During my morning and evening walks, and while sitting on the deck on warm summer nights, I talked to God about my heart's desire. Like Solomon, I only asked God for one thing. I didn't ask God for any physical attributes of that special someone. I only asked for a godly woman. Someone who would love God much more than she would love me. Someone who would place God at the center of our relationship. I prayed for someone with whom I could pray and hold hands with, as we set out on a journey to heaven. I prayed that God would grant me a love life similar or as close as possible to that of Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden. I wanted to be the most loving and romantic husband possible. Even when it didn't happen after a long time, I continued to trust God. He calmed my worrisome spirit and gave me peace.

Two days later, I logged onto the website. As the screen came up, I saw Reva's profile being featured. After reading her write up, I felt I had found the "special someone" I've been looking for. I decided to write her. But something unusual happened. While I wrote, tears were streaming down my face. I introduced myself yet, in the same email, I was also saying goodbye. I told Reva that if I never hear from her, it was just fine because I had the pleasure of reading her profile. Looking back now, I realized that God had made it known through my unexplained tears and feelings that my searching days were over. I was suddenly full of joy.

Reva answered back but she told me that she wasn't really looking for a husband. She joined the site to get her sisters off her back for they wanted her to remarry. But, from that moment, I placed her name before our Heavenly Father everyday. I also did not log onto the website anymore. I stopped all correspondence with the others but continued to write Reva. From that very night, God had placed the most awesome love in my heart for her.

All through those years when God was saying "No," He really meant, "Not yet." Before God could paint a picture of love in my life, He had to prepare the canvass. And He did just that. I'm so thankful that I waited on Him. I didn't know it, but God knew of a very special someone who was also praying a similar prayer. And this someone had just become a widow while I was busy raising my son. We both had to wait for God's perfect timing. And when the right time came, was I surprised to find out that my special someone is from the Philippines. Besides being a godly lady, she's beautiful, intelligent, kind and has a very generous heart.

Although we met through a Christian website for singles, it wasn't a "lonely hearts" matter for either of us. Each of us had been pursued, and at times, quite aggressively. Well-meaning family and friends also matched us with others. But we waited on a higher authority to direct our lives. I didn't want my love relationship to be J.R.'s mirage. I wanted it to come directly from God.

In spite of the prevalence of the erroneous and popular misconception and stereotyping of the Internet, God chose this avenue to join together two prayerful souls. Through emails and nightly phone calls, we shared with each other our personal and spiritual goals and experiences. Thousands of books and poems had been written on the magnificent subject of love. But for Reva and I, we've chosen to let God write our love story. We daily asked Him to direct us all the way to the gates of heaven.

God answered my prayers with an angel. He loaned me an angel, so I must take good care of her and get her back to heaven. I had prayed for a love relationship like that which existed in the Garden of Eden before the fall. Reva's name on the Christian website was Eveeden. Mine was Ckinheavin for I am seeking heaven. It was months later when Reva pointed out EveEden to me. God didn't just answer my prayers; He opened heaven's door. And all those years of praying and waiting were to me, just as Jacob's seven years were. And I can say as it was said of Jacob in Genesis 29:20, "And Jacob served seven years for Rachel; and they seemed unto him but a few days, for the love he had for her."