So, we left Cincinnati on Saturday morning… oh, wait… we were both running late… so we left on Saturday afternoon. However, we put our sluggish start behind us and made our way up to Hocking Hills singing and working on our song that we’re going to sing at her parents’ church in a couple weeks. It was a fun time for me to just enjoy music with her. We arrived at about 3:30 and got set up. We chose to camp out at the non-electric area to get away from all the other campers a bit, but we gave up a large amount of space in order to have that isolation: literally, our plot was the size of my kitchen. (So, just for advice’s sake, stay away from campsite 84 at Hocking Hills State Park campground.) Anyways, we were off hiking by 4:00 o’clock and heading towards Old Man’s Cave. This was an interesting time for us. I’m sure Jenn wanted to see if I would be patient while she took picture after picture, and I had the opportunity to really see her in her element. You see, as much as Jenn is a city girl, she loves nature. It’s how she gets in touch with God. So it was just neat to see her in her element.
Of course, as we saw some of the sights there, we couldn’t help but think of how cool it would be to get married at a couple of these sites in Hocking Hills…
But in general, I just enjoyed being there with my girl. You see, while she’s the kind of girl that loves nature, I’ve never really been one to get excited about it. I used to just go to appease others. Maybe now I can see it’s about the company you keep because I was very happy to be there. In fact, I was looking forward to the trip the entire week! I’ll get more into this later but it’s just neat to see what God has done in me to change how I’m wired.
After the hike, we got cleaned up and headed into a nearby town, Logan. We found a little local pizza joint and enjoyed a delicious dinner together. The food was great, especially those heart attack-inducing breadsticks they served us. I think they used a stick of butter on those things! However, we had a great time and headed back to camp.
When we got back to the campground it was pitch black outside, so Jenn came up with the marvelous idea of watching the stars. We pulled out a blanket and laid it on our picnic table. She lay down next to me and within 10 seconds we saw a shooting star. The sky was so bright with stars, too many to count. I just lay there and marveled at God’s handiwork. I can’t believe we forget how big He is sometimes. Now I know why Jenn loves being out in nature so much, and I find myself wondering why I never noticed it before. Jenn fell asleep next to me as we watched the stars. It was one of the most romantic moments I’ve ever experienced. I truly love this woman.
The next day we got up, showered and sat down for some time with the Lord. We’ve been reading in Isaiah together so we just continued there. We prayed, and then we spent about two hours singing praise and worship. This had to be an interesting sight for the campers nearby, but we had a wonderful time worshipping God and practicing our songs. Have I mentioned that one my favorite things to do with Jenn is to sing with her? Afterwards, we packed up, ate, and hit the trails again. This is where I really believe God made our weekend.
We both had our thoughts going into this weekend. For me, as I’ve already written, I felt my insecurities were hindering me. But after spending time with Jenn this weekend, and having her express how deeply she loves me, I came to understand just how much these insecurities are affecting us. I’m learning that when you fall in love with someone and you begin that road toward marriage, you begin to allow that person to have power in your life. As I’ve struggled with insecurities, it has affected her, which in turn has affected me. In the end it becomes a cycle, and if not prayerfully and carefully considered, I believe it can destroy relationships. I honestly believe the talks that Jenn and I had out there in the woods on Sunday were ordained by God. We both left Hocking Hills feeling like we accomplished something. Personally, I felt set free from all the worries and concerns and truly able to love this woman while expecting nothing in return. I’m making a choice to finally let go of these insecurities and give them to God. I’m making the choice to love this woman unconditionally and to believe in the plan God has for us. I’m choosing to believe that we will honor the power that God has allowed us to have over each other and use that power to enthrone Him in the middle of our relationship. I believe that we two lovebirds will enjoy many more starry nights as we continue to pursue God together.
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