Start the love story here.
Part 12 - The Proposal
On July 30th, 2017, which was their 6th month anniversary, Thomas came up with a plan to propose to Genevieve on a pier on Camiguin Island that overlooks the ocean. His reason was that the pier was the spot where two years earlier Genevieve had shared about a beautiful moment of prayer where the Lord told her about her future spouse and her wedding day. Thomas remembered the deep desire and longing to be her husband that rose in his heart that day. So his plan was to play a song that he wrote for her, tell her that story from two years earlier, and propose to her there.
So he told her that he had a story to tell her, and wanted to tell it at the pier. They got there that evening at about 9 pm, but to his chagrin, a group of young men had beaten them there. They were obviously drinking. They decided to walk around for a bit, and pray that they would leave soon. They prayed the emergency novena— nine Memorares, feeling sure that they were going to leave. But when they got back, even more men had joined the group for their festivities. Thomas was upset and confused. “Lord, my plan isn’t working! I ASKED You to clear the way to make this proposal happen! What are you doing?”
Genevieve could see Thomas was upset, but asked, “Do you HAVE to tell me the story tonight? Why don’t you just tell me another day?”
“No, it has to be tonight.”
“Okay, we can go up to the church.”
So they walked up to the church, which was a short walk away. But the church was locked. All the neighbourhood dogs were barking like crazy. Thomas’ irritation rose. This was not the right mood for a proposal. But he hadn’t given up yet. He thought of asking the priest to open the church. One of the young men who helped out at the church came down and opened the side door for them, and they entered the church. Genevieve could see that Thomas was still frustrated, so she thought, “Let me defuse this.”
She told Thomas, “Hey, I’ve been wanting to tell you something. Can I share with you this story before we begin?”
He reluctantly said, “Okay.”
”Two years ago I had a prayer time in this church. At that time I was struggling to trust the Lord with my future spouse. I thought that I really needed to take control. I was before the Divine Mercy image and the Lord told me, ‘You don’t trust me, that I’ll provide someone good for you, and that’s why it’s so hard for you to let go of your past relationships, and so hard for you to surrender this to Me.’ It really hit me, so I walked around the church just letting that soak in. I realized that I had thought that being Catholic was lame and boring, therefore my husband was going to be lame and boring. But as I walked around the church, I realized that was not true because everything in my life got better with Christ."
"I was at the back of the church, and I started to walk down the aisle towards the altar, and the Lord really spoke to me again and said, 'If you pick out your own husband, Genevieve, he will lead you to the altar, and you guys will leave the church out of the side door, and that’ll be it. But if you let me pick out your husband, he’ll bring you closer to Me.' And that point I walked up to the tabernacle, past the altar. It was a very profound moment."
Genevieve led Thomas around the church as she shared her story, and they walked down the aisle together. As they reached the tabernacle, it suddenly hit her that the Lord was bringing her full circle. He had promised her a spouse that would lead her closer to Him, and there she was, with a man who was doing just that.
She was overwhelmed. “Can we pray here for a bit?”
“Pray together?”
“No, individually.”
So they knelt down to pray before the tabernacle.
Thomas had been caught off guard with the story, because at first he felt like Genevieve was hijacking his proposal. But when they got to the tabernacle, and she needed to spend some time in prayer, it allowed him the chance to surrender to the Lord, and to allow Him to do what He was trying to do.
They finished praying and came down from the sanctuary. Then Thomas told her the story he had wanted to tell her at the pier, which was inspired by the same prayer time she had just told him about in that church. Then he played the song for her, and brought her back up to the tabernacle. They knelt down and prayed three times, “Jesus, we trust in You. Jesus, we trust in You. Jesus, we trust in You.” Then they stood up. But Thomas got back down on one knee before her, and right in front of the Lord, asked her, “Will you marry me?”
Thomas wasn’t sure exactly what to do with the ring—if he should just take out the ring box, or take the ring out and put it on her finger. So he took it out and almost put it on her finger, when he realized she hadn’t said yes yet. So he waited.
Genevieve had a friend who told her, ‘The proposal goes by so quickly’, so she wanted to fully take in the moment. As she looked at Thomas’ upturned face, she thought, “I’m not going to say yes yet, let me just take it in.’ Moments passed. Suddenly she realized it had been a while, as she saw the change in Thomas’ facial expression, so she quickly said, “Yes!”
Thomas and Genevieve were engaged! They remained in the church for a while, rejoicing in God’s goodness. Thomas was able to see that none of that had been his plan, and that his plan hadn’t worked at all. But he saw that it was the Lord’s faithfulness to Genevieve that had brought Thomas to that island and to that church, to ask her in front of the same tabernacle where He promised to provide him to her. It was the Lord’s faithfulness to Thomas that He had planned the perfect proposal that would bless Genevieve and him the most.
Part 13 - The Future
On the 14th of April, 2018, Thomas and Genevieve will be joined together in the sacrament of Holy Matrimony. They are excited to begin their life together. Both have heard God’s call to serve Him for the rest of their lives. They are open to go wherever the Lord calls them. They both want to be holy, and they are excited to learn how to be saints together. What unique witness will their marriage and family be to the world? Only time will tell. Pray for Thomas and Genevieve as they begin this adventure together with the Lord.
- The Beginning -
Part 12 - The Proposal
On July 30th, 2017, which was their 6th month anniversary, Thomas came up with a plan to propose to Genevieve on a pier on Camiguin Island that overlooks the ocean. His reason was that the pier was the spot where two years earlier Genevieve had shared about a beautiful moment of prayer where the Lord told her about her future spouse and her wedding day. Thomas remembered the deep desire and longing to be her husband that rose in his heart that day. So his plan was to play a song that he wrote for her, tell her that story from two years earlier, and propose to her there.
So he told her that he had a story to tell her, and wanted to tell it at the pier. They got there that evening at about 9 pm, but to his chagrin, a group of young men had beaten them there. They were obviously drinking. They decided to walk around for a bit, and pray that they would leave soon. They prayed the emergency novena— nine Memorares, feeling sure that they were going to leave. But when they got back, even more men had joined the group for their festivities. Thomas was upset and confused. “Lord, my plan isn’t working! I ASKED You to clear the way to make this proposal happen! What are you doing?”
Genevieve could see Thomas was upset, but asked, “Do you HAVE to tell me the story tonight? Why don’t you just tell me another day?”
“No, it has to be tonight.”
“Okay, we can go up to the church.”
So they walked up to the church, which was a short walk away. But the church was locked. All the neighbourhood dogs were barking like crazy. Thomas’ irritation rose. This was not the right mood for a proposal. But he hadn’t given up yet. He thought of asking the priest to open the church. One of the young men who helped out at the church came down and opened the side door for them, and they entered the church. Genevieve could see that Thomas was still frustrated, so she thought, “Let me defuse this.”
She told Thomas, “Hey, I’ve been wanting to tell you something. Can I share with you this story before we begin?”
He reluctantly said, “Okay.”
”Two years ago I had a prayer time in this church. At that time I was struggling to trust the Lord with my future spouse. I thought that I really needed to take control. I was before the Divine Mercy image and the Lord told me, ‘You don’t trust me, that I’ll provide someone good for you, and that’s why it’s so hard for you to let go of your past relationships, and so hard for you to surrender this to Me.’ It really hit me, so I walked around the church just letting that soak in. I realized that I had thought that being Catholic was lame and boring, therefore my husband was going to be lame and boring. But as I walked around the church, I realized that was not true because everything in my life got better with Christ."
"I was at the back of the church, and I started to walk down the aisle towards the altar, and the Lord really spoke to me again and said, 'If you pick out your own husband, Genevieve, he will lead you to the altar, and you guys will leave the church out of the side door, and that’ll be it. But if you let me pick out your husband, he’ll bring you closer to Me.' And that point I walked up to the tabernacle, past the altar. It was a very profound moment."
Genevieve led Thomas around the church as she shared her story, and they walked down the aisle together. As they reached the tabernacle, it suddenly hit her that the Lord was bringing her full circle. He had promised her a spouse that would lead her closer to Him, and there she was, with a man who was doing just that.
She was overwhelmed. “Can we pray here for a bit?”
“Pray together?”
“No, individually.”
So they knelt down to pray before the tabernacle.
Thomas had been caught off guard with the story, because at first he felt like Genevieve was hijacking his proposal. But when they got to the tabernacle, and she needed to spend some time in prayer, it allowed him the chance to surrender to the Lord, and to allow Him to do what He was trying to do.
They finished praying and came down from the sanctuary. Then Thomas told her the story he had wanted to tell her at the pier, which was inspired by the same prayer time she had just told him about in that church. Then he played the song for her, and brought her back up to the tabernacle. They knelt down and prayed three times, “Jesus, we trust in You. Jesus, we trust in You. Jesus, we trust in You.” Then they stood up. But Thomas got back down on one knee before her, and right in front of the Lord, asked her, “Will you marry me?”
Thomas wasn’t sure exactly what to do with the ring—if he should just take out the ring box, or take the ring out and put it on her finger. So he took it out and almost put it on her finger, when he realized she hadn’t said yes yet. So he waited.
Genevieve had a friend who told her, ‘The proposal goes by so quickly’, so she wanted to fully take in the moment. As she looked at Thomas’ upturned face, she thought, “I’m not going to say yes yet, let me just take it in.’ Moments passed. Suddenly she realized it had been a while, as she saw the change in Thomas’ facial expression, so she quickly said, “Yes!”
Thomas and Genevieve were engaged! They remained in the church for a while, rejoicing in God’s goodness. Thomas was able to see that none of that had been his plan, and that his plan hadn’t worked at all. But he saw that it was the Lord’s faithfulness to Genevieve that had brought Thomas to that island and to that church, to ask her in front of the same tabernacle where He promised to provide him to her. It was the Lord’s faithfulness to Thomas that He had planned the perfect proposal that would bless Genevieve and him the most.
Part 13 - The Future
On the 14th of April, 2018, Thomas and Genevieve will be joined together in the sacrament of Holy Matrimony. They are excited to begin their life together. Both have heard God’s call to serve Him for the rest of their lives. They are open to go wherever the Lord calls them. They both want to be holy, and they are excited to learn how to be saints together. What unique witness will their marriage and family be to the world? Only time will tell. Pray for Thomas and Genevieve as they begin this adventure together with the Lord.
- The Beginning -
Thomas and Genevieve meet Pope Francis on their honeymoon
WOW. How it all came full circle was beautiful! This is very encouraging and inspiring. It will be exciting to see where God leads their family!
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