David and Nikki Church

"God is Love"

September 18, 2010 would be a day that neither one of them would ever forget. For David it was answer to a prayer of faith, the moment at which God filled a hole in his heart that could only be filled by his one true love. For Nikki it was the evidence of God's faithfulness to her as she was joined in marriage to the love of her life.

However, their journey of love was not typical in any way. The time before they dated bore witness to turmoil and pain in their lives. It was evident that God was about to do something in their lives.

It was a refreshingly cool night, which was unusual for summer nights in Fresno. Yet, there in Woodward Park it was a great night to watch Shakespeare's "As You Like It." It was a different twist on the story as the actors were dressed in 1960's attire and David was enjoying the wit of the playwright. As David watched the story unfold he heard Orlando express a sentiment he had known all too well. Orlando's brother was getting married and he had been asked if would go to the wedding. Orlando stated that he wouldn't, for why would he participate in a joy that was denied to him. The words stung David and left him numb in his seat. He had been to too many weddings and he was tired of watching everybody else find the joy of marriage while he was stranded in loneliness, but he knew that something was in the wind.

She no longer hated men. She was past that, but just barely. She was so sick of hearing "You're beautiful" from men. Men had a bad tendency to let her down. It had happened again recently and she knew it was bound to happen again. She had been trying to move on with life and doing a reasonably good job. She was sitting out the semester from college, which as it turned out was a good idea, but the guys wouldn't stop texting, calling, and friend requesting. Why couldn't they just leave her alone? Maybe God really did want her to be single. That was something she would just have to keep thinking about.

David knew one thing, he would have to come out of his shell and make friends. He had a few, but he felt it was time to expand that group. He reasoned that one day he would either become friends with the lady who would become his wife or he would meet someone who would know her. As he perused the friend suggestions on Facebook he saw a cute girl. She was friends with two girls from his church. "Why not?" he thought. So he sent a friend request to Nicole Robbins.

Her phone went off. As she looked she had a friend request. As she saw it was another guy she groaned within herself. She was just about to ignore it when a message came through. It was from the guy, "Hi, I'm just looking for Christian fellowship. If you're not cool with that, just ignore the request." Her eyebrows rose in surprise. That was different from what she was used to. So she accepted and sent a reply. Neither one realized that from that day forward they would not have a single day without some form of communication. David enjoyed the conversation and Nikki the honest companionship of a man who didn't seem shallow.

David, knowing her past experiences with men, was very careful never to push her, but the day came when she expressed her dissatisfaction with texting. She asked if they could talk, but stated that he would have to call her father first. She really didn't expect that to happen. Many a man had gotten to this point and never called him. But on Independence Day 2009 David called his future father in law from Millerton Lake. That night they talked for the first time. It was a wonderful experience that both of them thoroughly enjoyed.

There were only two times in his young life that David felt the Lord directly telling him to do something. As he was listening to Nikki recount the story of a painful breakup, the Lord interrupted his thoughts and clearly impressed, "David, she is the one." That was it. That short. That simple. He thought, "Really? Are you serious?" the impression was returned, "Yes, she is the one." David was immediately torn. He was filled with joy and yet he knew that she was not ready to hear that. He would just have to be patient.

Clark's wedding preparations had been a blast to go over. It was the night before the wedding and Clark was sitting with David on the bed where he was staying. He looked at his best friend and asked, "David, what are we praying for?" He looked back at him and said, "Clark, I believe that God has shown me that I am to marry her, but I feel she is too afraid of the risk of relationship. She is justified in her fear as she has been hurt, but still. Pray with me that the Lord would give her the faith to risk." With that the two of them got on their knees and prayed for exactly that.

When a guy would contact Nikki she would frequently discuss with David what he thought she should do about it. He definitely had a different take on things from what she expected. He was practical, but sometimes she thought a bit mean to the poor guys. If she told him she wasn't interested he said that she should make that clear. He reasoned that it was mean to waste a guy's time by allowing him to think he had a chance when he did not. It made sense in a weird sort of way, but still, it seemed a bit harsh to the poor guys. After all, they were only guilty of liking her. On this particular night, he had been discussing risk with her. She had nearly made up her mind that she was ready to take one. She informed him that she was going to ask her dad about someone.

David's heart leapt both with hope and fear all at the same time. Would it be him? He couldn't assume that. He would just have to wait. The texting continued as he probed her to find out who the guy was.

Nikki sighed and shook her head. Guys...he told me they were dense. She texted, "Tell me what you really think." She waited to see what he would say. A text came through, "I think you are going to ask your dad about me." A smile played across Nikki's face. Yes, she was going to ask, now about that risk.

Shortly after that David and Nikki agreed that they needed to meet in person. She was headed back to West Coast Baptist College and David suggested that he come down that first Sunday after the morning service. She didn't really expect him to do it, but when she got the text saying, "I'm in Mojave. It shouldn't be long now." it hit her that this was real. She took off running down a hall way to hide, but her friends chased her down and brought her back.

David had been warning her that he wasn't a skinny college kid, but Nikki wasn't really sure how to take that. Did that mean he was huge? She's find out. As she stood in the Revels building waiting with two friends and her mom she saw him. He was walking very confidently toward the door. David, meanwhile was watching the circus of expressions playing their way across her face. He could read her thoughts like a book. It went something like this, "That's him. He's not as at all what I expected. I like it...Oh my, he's walking through the door!" He stepped through the door and gave a simple, "Hi." She responded in kind. There were a few awkward words exchanged before they all went to sit down.

Nikki wasn't saying much. She could hardly believe this was happening. It was too much to take in. Meanwhile, David found himself carrying on a conversation with everyone but Nikki. He wasn't sure what was going on, but he was here and he wasn't about to quit! Her mom and one of the friends finally had to leave. So David, Nikki and their other friend made their way to the service. As the night wore on Nikki became more comfortable around David who, trying not to pressure her, didn't allow her to see him looking at her. She was so beautiful! Finally the time came when Nikki sent her friend off to the dorm and David asked, "So you said you would know?" Nikki smirked in mock innocence, "Know what?" David rallied his courage, "You said you would know if we would be able to date or not. So...?"

As David drove home his heart was sailing as her remembered her answer, "Well, I can definitely see myself liking you, so yes, it is possible." One week later he got off the phone with her dad, went on Facebook and changed his relationship status from single to "in a relationship." Nikki did the same, now if he could only meet her dad in person.

Always full of surprises, David suggested he take a weekend and travel down to see the family. Again it was a surprise to Nikki that he was actually coming, but the surprise of that was quickly eclipsed by another. Once David was already in Oceanside she learned that the church was having a family conference and they were all going. They asked David to meet them there. David didn't mind, he was very used to adapting on the fly, but nothing could have prepared him for what happened next. As he walked through the back door of the church the preacher was already speaking. Someone gave him a handout. As he found a seat in the back, Nikki was looking at the title of the handout. "A Biblical Philosophy of Sex!?!?!?!?!" Awkward!

None the less they made it through the conference. It was a little unorthodox for a first date, but at least it was a biblical one.

What followed was a beautiful symphony of love as David proved his love to Nikki.

One day as the college had an activity to Santa Monica Pier, David drove down to participate. As they approached the end of the pier David began to weave a tale about true enduring love. Nikki was amazed to watch as David pointed his hand toward the sun and seemingly pulled a necklace from its rays. On the Necklace it said, "My love will always remain." She looked up from the necklace into his blue eyes as he said, "Nikki, I love you." It was true. Someone really did love her. He was serious about this and had no plans to go anywhere but into the future with her.

Yet no journey is without its perils and the young couple faced a serious one. It has been said that without the fire of trial no relationship can turn from coal into a diamond. The fire came as David was visiting Nikki before Christmas of 2009. His car had broken down and he had borrowed his father's truck to come down. As he sat on the couch he got a phone call. It was his boss. He was being let go. The ordeal shocked the couple. The fragile faith that they held had been broken. The confidence was gone. Was there a future for them? Nikki wasn't sure that David had the will power to overcome. In fact, many people pointed a skeptical finger toward him. He couldn't do it, they seemed to say.

Looking toward heaven for help, the Lord lifted him up. With the steel of determination in his spine and the hope of God's promise in his heart David set out to prove that God could provide what was needed. A little over two weeks later the Lord provided him a job at Holiday Inn Express and Suites in Clovis.

Three hundred fifty miles to the south Nikki waited and prayed as the reports came back the that the Lord was providing. It was her father that suggested she tell him about working as family service counselor. It only took one week before David had an interview and was hired to work with Dignity Memorial. His next journey to San Diego was a gloriously happy one. Nikki felt protected and loved the entire time. This was the man she had fallen in love with, but how long would it be before he asked the question?

It was a beautiful spring day as David and Nikki jumped into the Honda to head for Morro Bay. As they approached the temperature began dropping sharply. It became evident that it was going to be too cold to stay very long, but as they sat on the beach watching the waves lap against the shore David began to tell Nikki a long story. As always he managed to weave himself and Nikki into the story. As he reached the end, he stood. Nikki wasn't sure what was happening. David went to a portable cd player and played their song "I Wanna Grow Old with You." He sang along with it and began to write letters in the sand. As he finished he came over and took Nikki's hand. He brought her to the bottom of the words where the sand read, "Nikki, grow old with me!" He reached down and took a diamond ring out of the exclamation point and looked up at Nikki. A smile was upon her face that would have made the brightest star in the night sky fade with jealousy. He walked over and went down on one knee. Taking her hand, he asked, “Nikki, I want to grow old with you. Will you make me the happiest man alive and marry me?” She was filled with such joy. The time they spent apart had tortured her. “Yes!” She cried and hugged him as though he would disappear right before her eyes.

The wedding plans were made, and the place picked. He got a place ready for them and threw himself at his work with vigor. Though being in a car accident injured her back, she recovered to prepare for the man of her dreams. This wedding was a work brought about entirely by God. They give complete credit to Him. Their love forms a triangle between each other and their God. Undoubtedly the trials will come, yet they have a friend they know will bring them through. Failure is not an option, divorce not a word in their vocabulary. Nikki's name means "victorious" and David's means "beloved." Beloved Victory will be the theme of their marriage.

"Delight thyself also in the LORD; and he shall give thee the desires of thine heart. Commit thy way unto the LORD; trust also in him; and he shall bring it to pass." Psalm 37:4-5

"Whoso findeth a wife findeth a good thing, and obtaineth favour of the LORD." Proverbs 18:22