Bachelor to the Rapture No More

For the longest time, perhaps for about as long as I’ve been a Christian, I’ve used the term “Bachelor to the Rapture” to describe my relationship status.  I first heard the term from my long time friend Andy Manzo, and it quickly developed into my relationship mantra.  In my mind, I felt like perhaps the best way I could serve God was to do it as a single individual.   That’s not to say that there weren’t people who caught my eye, or who I even considered and pursued for a bit between 1995 and now.  But each time, there was a clarity brought about to indicate to me and/or the other person, that this wasn’t the best match up.

Recently, that all changed.  There was a young lady who over a three year period became one of my closest friends.  We would spend time together often among a larger group of friends, and neither of us looked at the other as a person to pursue for a potential relationship.  But something changed during the fall of 2008, and I began to wonder if I should pursue her as something more than a friend.

So why her?  I’m not sure if I can enumerate all of the reasons, but I can tell you it starts with her faith in Jesus. She is one of the most genuine faith-filled people I have ever met.  There’s something about her that radiates the joy she has in God, and anybody who spends much time with her sees the same attribute.  She loves God, the deep abiding kind of love that saturates every area of life.  Beyond this, she loves people.  In the years that we were friends, I don’t think I ever heard her say a mean thing about another person.  Beyond this, I would regularly see her go out of her way to welcome new people, and comfort those who would be standing at the fringes of our faith community in Morgantown.  She would regularly give of her time and energy to help others realize their potential, to weep with them, and to rejoice with them.  Beyond these two attributes, Jamie truly loves life!  She brings a contagious enthusiasm to everything she does, and people absolutely love her. 

Jamie is set apart from every other person I have ever met.  She is one of the most thoughtful, tender, and nurturing people I know.  If you’ve met her, you know exactly what I mean.  If you haven’t met her yet, I hope you have the opportunity!

I am a “bachelor to the rapture no more,” and I’m looking forward to spending many wonderful years better getting to know this woman who has so enamored my heart.

In future posts I’ll unveil more of the story, and more of how things have transpired since fall 2008, and how Jamie Reaser went from being one of my close friends to my fiancée.