Wednesday, 04 April 2012
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Tuesday, 03 April 2012
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We drove to the Green Mountains with our friend Andrew (one of our college buddies). It was a perfect spring skiing sort of day. Sun shining and beautiful white powder covering the trails. At Sugarbush Ski resort, there are two large mountains connected with a long 25 min chair lift. I think this is why I love Sugarbush so much. Riding that lift from mountaintop to mountaintop while gazing upon the views is just glorious. I think this is why Caleb took me here. As we got into our skiing day, I lost track of time. That chair lift closed before we could get back to the first mountain where we started. No biggy I thought, we'll just take the bus back to the other mountain. That's what we did. Caleb was really hoping that we'd have time to ski some more when we got off the bus. But when we got back, the first mountain was closed. Oh well. Yeah, it stunk, especailly being the kind of skier that bombs the mountain to cram as many runs in before the lift closes, but I wasn't too disappointed because we did have really great day.
We got in Andrew's car and headed back down the mountains. Caleb was driving. All of a sudden, he stopped the car at on overlook. I didn't think anything of it because I was so stoked to see the view. I ran out of the car to the guardrails. When I was finished looking, I turned around. And there he was folks. On his knee. I don't even remember hearing "Will you marry me?" but I saw the ring. Shocked, surprised, heart raising, were some of the feelings pulsating through my body. I walked a few steps away from him (can you imagine being him? Poor guy was nervous enough and then I go walking away after he asks to marry me). But I quickly came back and said "no" to ease his nerves....oh just kidding guys! Of course I said "YES!" and we embraced and all that. It was great.
On the way back to Clarkson that day, Andrew played every lame love song on his ipod.
Caleb's original plan was to propose on that chair lift but I ruined it. And then he wanted to stage a fall and while I stopped to see if he was alright, he was going to propose. But I never let him get far enough ahead of me all day. He pulled through though!
And then the wedding plans began!
To be continued...
Monday, 02 April 2012
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I probably saw Caleb four times that summer. In between, I worked, ran a lot, and prayed that it would be really clear if this was meant to be. I would need God to change my heart and heal me from witnessing an unhealthy marriage and divorce growing up. Years earlier, I made a vow to myself that I would never marry or have kids (even though it was a desire. I think God puts that desire in us) based on the pain I had (I love my parents and forgave everything in the past. I don't hold onto it). That summer, the vow was broken. It was crucial if I wanted to move on and walk in His path. Looking back, now I see how perfect God's timing was. One morning that summer God used a pastor to speak into my life and verify that it was ok to look at Caleb as a potential husband. So I lived my single life five hours from him, and let him pursue me as he saw fit.
We were apart for awhile because I had that long internship that lasted through the next fall semester and he went back to Clarkson. He was really involved in church and leading bible studies not to mention that it was his senior year in engineering. Even though I love being married to him, I am so glad we had that time of singleness before we got married. It is a season that we'll never have again.
I went back to Clarkson in January to complete my last two semesters. I started getting counsel from a glorious woman of God while Caleb received discipleship from her husband. Spring break came quickly. We parted our ways for the week and then came back to Clarkson a little early to see each other and see friends before classes started. Caleb insisted that we go back to Vermont to go skiing for the day before classes start. What? I just came from Vermont! But you only live once right? So off we went, to hit the slopes.
To be continued...
Sunday, 01 April 2012
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I remember arranging a meeting with Caleb after he told me about his feelings. I took my good friend with me as a support. I really wanted to make sure that we could still be friends without putting up fronts. During this meeting, my friend told Caleb (rightfully so! She was looking out for me!) that he was telling me too much about his feelings.
"you mean I can't tell Melissa that I love her?"-Caleb
"that's exactly what I mean!"-Friend
(Caleb told me a few weeks ago that this same wonderful pal invited him over to bake cookies or something, only to inform him that if he hurt me, then she would kill him. Now those kind of friends are hard to come by!)
Even after this meeting, that spring semester was different for Caleb and I. I became distant from him. The wall around my heart grew higher and stronger. When the end of the semester was completed, I couldn't wait to run away from school, and start my job. My heart was so confused. I liked him so much as a friend but thinking about something more? I needed real proof. That summer gave me the opportunity to be alone and really seek God and listen to His calling.
In the middle of the summer, I made the drive to Caleb's house in New York to meet his family. What a clan! There a a few things I remember about this visit:
1)tromping through the swamp while having mud fights and meeting up with two HUGE snakes.
2)helping out at someone's wedding. When the music started, all the Lange kids and their spouses dancing crazy in the center of the crowd. This was a taste of this rambunctious clan.
3)meeting Caleb's older sister. She was their leader and she scared me (but we do have a very good relationship now mind you, probably because I passed the test)
That was the first of many visits.
To be continued...
Saturday, 31 March 2012
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We all came back to Clarkson after Christmas break, ready to start a new semester in the subzero degree temperatures. That first Sunday of the new semester was an interesting one that was quite unexpected (to say the least!). After church, a guy from our college ministry group approached me, asking if it was alright if we met later that day. I agreed to meet at the Clarkson hockey rink/student center. The conversation started like this:
him: "So I met with your dad"
me: ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!!!!!!!!!!!! (all in my head of course)
him: "and I asked him if it was alright if I courted you. I think you are going to be my wife someday..."
me: "uhhh...can you give me a few days to think and pray about this? I really don't know what to say."
So that was a Sunday night. I had no idea what to think or do. I had no interest in being a wife anytime soon (or ever for that matter). But I didn't want to completely discredit things based on my own fears. When I saw Caleb on Monday morning, he knew something was up. I told him everything. "So, what should I do!?" but he didn't have an answer. I don't remember him saying anything at all.
I was supposed to meet the future-husband-guy on Wednesday to tell him what I felt God was saying. Wednesday came fast. I still didn't know what I was going to say to him. I decided to go running (even though it was -10 degrees). As I was running back to my dorm, I saw Caleb in a parking lot. He was the only human around due to the frigid weather. When I saw him, he looked terrible. When I asked him what was wrong, he asked me what I was going to tell this other guy.
me: "I'm going to tell him that I only want to be friends."
Caleb: "Ok, well I haven't slept because I really like you too."
More was said but I won't go into the specifics. I was shocked. At this point in my life, I didn't want a relationship. Marriage was a very scary thing. So I ran. Not just away from Caleb that afternoon, but for the next semester too. I found a co-op (a long internship) in Vermont and planned to work away from Clarkson and the guys that thought I'd make a good wife. But you can never run from God and He certainly made His path clear while I was running away.
To be continued...
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- Name: Melissa
- Gender: Female
- Member Since: 2/29/2008
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