Puzzle Pieces: My Engagement Story

As many of you know I am engaged to Tyson Perry :) Hands down, he is the most wonderful man I have ever known or ever will. What many people don’t know is that I knew Tyson for 7 weeks when we got engaged. When people hear that, I love to see their reactions because it’s either pure shock or joy; there is no in-between.  

As I look back on the events that led up to my engagement to Ty, I have felt strongly that it is a story that needs to be shared because the whole thing has strengthened my testimony of how aware of each and every one of us the Lord truly is. He is always working behind the scenes to help each piece of our life fit together perfectly, even if it means we encounter hardships along the way. Why keep a story like that to myself when it could possibly bless another?

 

Many of you are aware that I had a missionary. We were great friends and positive that we would be “together forever.” The years we dated leading up to his mission were very difficult for me and I always had a feeling in my heart that something wasn’t right. Yet, I was determined to try and make things work out. Fast forward almost 3 years to this past September, 2013. He had been gone for a year and a half and I finally felt like we were on the home-stretch of this whole waiting-game. We were so close to the end and I was convinced that nothing could go wrong at this point in time. One night, I got an email from him that changed everything for me and I knew without a doubt that it was not right for me to keep him in my plans any longer. Yet, I lacked the courage to completely break away. We stayed in touch and I did my best to support him, all the while knowing that we could never be more than friends again. 

Fast forward to November 2013. I had some experiences in high school that made me not want a Facebook so I continued to not have one for many years. But one morning in November, I woke up with the distinct prompting to create a Facebook account. I know that sounds strange and my first thought when I had the prompting was pure confusion. Why in the world would Heavenly Father be asking me to create a Facebook?! I followed the prompting in faith and thought “what could it hurt?”

A few months later, I received numerous promptings that were encouraging me to cut-off my communication with my missionary and I was quite sad. 

I began to pray for the courage to follow what I knew needed to be done and for chances to date. The next day, I was sitting in the class that I TA for when the professor said he felt impressed to share a spiritual thought with us. I can’t even remember what the topic was about, but I do remember so vividly how I felt during it. In that short 5 minute thought, something changed in me and I had the courage to write this man and tell him that we could no longer be in contact. I told him that I didn’t know why, but it just wasn’t right. For many years, I hung onto him as a security blanket of sorts. And giving that up was no easy task. Yet, my Heavenly Father made it crystal clear that He couldn’t give me the blessings I sought unless I had the faith to step into the dark and let go. I let go of my “security blanket” and what happened in the following weeks continues to amaze me. 

That very Friday after I let go of my plans and let Heavenly Father take over, I went on a double date with a good friend and his old mission companion, Tyson. Ty was not my date J A few days later, I came home to a message on Facebook from him telling me that he would like to get to know me better. We exchanged numbers and he called to ask me out for a date that Friday night. (Remember how I felt so strongly that I needed to get a Facebook? ;) We hit it off surprisingly well from the first date and we were basically inseparable ever since. Last Friday, Tyson took me up the canyon and asked me to marry him. It was the best moment of my life and one that I will never forget! How blessed I am to have him in my life forever.

Many people have also heard me talk about how for a little over year now I had been prompted to finish school a year earlier than I was scheduled to. That meant I had to go year round and take a full course load of 18 credits for a few semesters. When I got the prompting, I truthfully had no reason at all to finish early. I wasn’t dating anyone, nothing. But I knew what I had been asked by the Lord and I followed in faith. For over a year, I didn’t know why I needed to finish so early. I didn’t even have a hint. And in the past 7 weeks, it has all fallen into place. Ty has accepted a job offer in Fort Worth, Texas, meaning that we will be moving right after we are married in June. Had I not followed the prompting and finished early, we wouldn’t be able to take that opportunity.

These are just some of the events that led up to our engagement and they are very dear to my heart as I have seen all the little pieces of my life come together in such a short period of time. People may think I’m crazy for being engaged to a man I have known for 7 weeks, but I know that it’s right. I know the Lord’s hand has been in this relationship from the beginning and there isn’t a doubt in my mind that Ty is the one.

My main point in all of this is just to remember that the Lord is aware of us. Even if we don’t see the results immediately, there is a reason for the promptings that we receive. It wasn’t easy by any means, but I know that if we strive to have the humility to listen when the Lord speaks to us, He WILL make all the pieces fit together. And more perfectly than we have any idea J The Lord lives and He loves us so very much. He causes some things to not work out so that we can have the greatest happiest in the end. He wants the best for us. And He knows us individually. I know that with all that I am and hope that you come to know it too.