I met Heath when I was really, really young (probably 12 or 13). He was friends with my cousin, Jonathan. From day one, I had a huge crush on him. I thought he was very cute, and I always hoped he would be at our family gatherings. My family was not very subtle about implying my crush. It was embarrassing.
Fast-forward a few years.
One year at youth camp (I think I was in 9th or 10th grade), I heard testimonies from several women who didn’t date anyone except for their husband. They had testimonies like I had never heard before, and I felt God working on my heart. That summer I decided to officially give God my love life. I had never dated before that time, and I decided to not get caught up in the teenage dating games.
And it stuck.
I don’t know if I fully understood what waiting for the right person would mean. I was always the odd wheel in my group of friends. It wasn’t easy. Sometimes I felt lonely. Sometimes I felt like a loser. A lot of times I had to remind myself that I was going to trust God to provide the right person for me. Through lots of prayer and God’s protection, I made it through high school and college without entering into a romantic relationship. In fact, God’s protection was so full that any time I ever even thought about getting close to that type of relationship, He intervened.
2013 was my last year of college. I spent the last 4 months of that year interning at a church in Nashville. It was great. I learned a lot about myself, and God directed me in ways I never imagined He would. That internship gave me a deep desire to work in a church, so I volunteered at my home church in early 2014.
One day I was given an opportunity to move to a different state to help plant a church. I was totally thrown off by this offer. Until this point in my life, moving far away was never even an option for me. I was so flattered by their offer, but I was also terrified.
I spent the next few weeks truly praying and seeking God. I did not want to leave my family, but I wanted to do what God wanted me to do. I didn’t want to let my fear get in the way of what God had for me.
One day, as I was working alone in the sanctuary, I was caught up in a conversation with God and thinking about moving away. I was thinking about all the different aspects of that decision and begging God to guide me. I thought about leaving family behind, and that made me sad. I thought about the children I wouldn’t get to watch grow up (in person), and that made me sad.
Then out of nowhere, I had the most random and ridiculous (at the time) thought.
“You can’t leave Heath.”
You have to understand how insane this thought was to me at the time. I immediately thought, “Katie, YOU. ARE. DELUSIONAL.” Heath and I hadn’t seen each other in years. I wasn’t even sure if he knew I existed. Other than a few Facebook comments here and there, we hadn’t had a full conversation in about 7 or 8 years. At that time, I thought I hit a new level of pathetic. (It’s important to note, that I still had a huge crush on Heath. I might have even stalked him on Facebook a little…)
Looking back on this, I believe it was God.
Not even two weeks later, on September 25, 2014, Heath sent me the sweetest message on Facebook asking me for my phone number. Upon receiving the message, I dropped my phone because I was so excited and so nervous. I could NOT believe that he wanted to go on a date with me.
I woke my mom up, because it was very late when I got the message. I showed her the message and asked her what I should do. I was nervous about dating someone I didn’t really know on a spiritual level. I knew he was a Christian, but I didn’t know anything else. She told me to go on a date, and get to know him better. That night I gave him my phone number, and I prayed like crazy that God would remove him from my life if this was not from Him.
We went on our first date on September 27, 2014. I was extremely nervous. He came to the front door, and when I opened the door, my heart skipped a beat. I was going out with Heath Smith. It didn’t feel real. We had a great time, and at the end of the night he asked if I would like to go out again sometime. I was very excited. We have gone out every weekend ever since.
I continued praying my way through our relationship, and at every pivotal moment God showed me that He is the author of our relationship.
On December 19, 2014, Heath gave me my first kiss, and he told me that he loved me. I did not expect him to kiss me that night; he caught me by surprise. I really didn’t expect him to tell me he loved me either. But I knew already: I loved him too. It was an amazing night that I will never forget.
Shortly after that night, we had the tough conversation about purity. I call it “tough” because my face turns red at the mention of anything related to sex. When I told him that I wanted to wait until marriage, he told me that he had assumed that to be true before we started dating. He also told me that he was a virgin. This was such an answered prayer. God had saved him just for me.
I could probably write a book about all the things God has done throughout the years that we have been together. It is truly amazing to look back at all the answered prayers. Through the time leading up to our engagement, God outdid Himself to show me how faithful He is (maybe I’ll share more details about that with you in the future).
On October 10, 2016, while we were on family vacation with my parents in Panama City Beach, FL, Heath asked us to go down to the beach to take a few good pictures together. We stood on the deck as my parents took several photos of us together (something we NEVER do).
After we took the photos, Heath got down on one knee and spoke the sweetest words I have ever heard. He asked me to be his wife. I was stunned and so very happy. He looked at me the way I have always wanted to be looked at. It was a dream come true. It was an answer to my childhood prayers.
On December 16, 2017, we vowed to love each other forever. It was truly one of the greatest days of my life. If I could go back and relive that day, I would in a heartbeat. It was beautiful and wonderful and everything I’ve ever wanted.
Heath is my one and only love. He is the only person I’ve ever kissed and the only person I’ve ever dated. I rejoice in that—not because it’s some big accomplishment on my part—because it is such an answered prayer. If it had been up to me, I would have totally chosen wrong for myself. Left in God’s hands, I was protected from myself and guided into the life He has planned for me.
I look forward to our future together because the beginning of our story has God’s fingerprints all over it. This time in my life has been such a fulfillment of all the things I trusted God to provide for me so many years ago.
I wanted to share this with you to encourage any girls out there waiting for “the One.” Trust God, and He will provide.
I also wanted to share this with you to brag on my faithful God! I did not do anything to deserve His faithfulness to me in this area, but He chose to bless me anyway. I am forever thankful.
“Give thanks to the Lord and proclaim his greatness.
Let the whole world know what he has done.
Sing to him; yes, sing his praises.
Tell everyone about his wonderful deeds.
Exult in his holy name;
rejoice, you who worship the Lord.
Search for the Lord and for his strength;
continually seek him.
Remember the wonders he has performed,
his miracles, and the rulings he has given…”
Psalm 105:1-5
Honoring Christ 