Has anyone every heard of a three day proposal?

The proposal began on a Thursday and it will take me forever to absorb it all.

 

I was filling-in for the normal mail sorter when I noticed a package from Torrence.  How exciting!  I went back to my office with great anticipation.  I opened the package to find a 2008 loving you activity book with markers, pens and color pencils—entitled “My Love for You is Just Because.”  This book is a collection of coloring pages and puzzles; which includes fun fact stories and a love letter.  As I thumbed thru the pages, I remember thinking, “Awww, he is going to send me a gift to work everyday until Valentine’s Day,” but that was too simple for this man. 

 

Some Fridays I have the option of getting off at 3:30, but I didn’t exercise this option that day.  Torrence called me at work and told me he was broken down, stranded in Durham, and wanted me to pick him up before 5pm.   I was trying to figure out how to get on the bus, go to my car and get him before 5pm.  He called me back and told me to pick him up from the Museum of Life and Science.  He had come up to look at the museum for a possible field trip for his clients.  Well, that's around the corner from my Aunt's house.  I called her to help me because RTP traffic is a beast. 

My Aunt Gloretta and I arrived at The Museum of Life and Science within minutes of each other, but she left after we had a quick chit-chat.  Then, Torrence came out of the museum and introduced me to events coordinator.  As we were leaving, Torrence told me that he’d left his keys in the events coordinator’s office. We drove around to her office only to find that her office was locked and she didn’t know the code to open the building.

It was a long ride to my place.  His truck was broken down, he didn’t have his keys, he didn’t have his phone charger (locked in the truck), he was not happy.  Torrence didn’t say more than 20 words on the way to my place in bumper to bumper inching traffic. He did say, “I want to be back at the museum at 10:00 am, if that is possible. Thank you.” I nodded.

DAY 3:  February 9th

The next morning, Torrence asked me to 'dress pretty' because he was taking me to breakfast after we finished at the museum.  On the way to the museum he had all kinds of contemplations—“What if they don’t have my keys….what if they still can’t get in the office…what if she is not there and no one knows where my keys are…?” So, we prayed together that everything would work out ok.

When we got to the museum, I parked the car and he went inside to talk to the events coordinator.  She told him that we could go to her office to get his keys.  By now I’m thinking—“You know he is from out of town…you know he needs his keys…why didn’t you have them waiting for him at the front desk…you are a busy woman, why don’t you have a lost and found protocol…why is your office unlocked with his keys in there…?” I stayed calm because he seemed a little frustrated (both of us upset is not good).

We walked down the hall, outside, past the children playing in the playground, past the petting zoo, past the rail road tracks to the back of the campus—the Wing House.  I thought, “This would be a nice place to propose because he calls me his ‘butterfly,’” but prior conversations made that idea so far fetched.  

Her office door was locked and I thought, "What is really going on!?"  Torrence did not look pleased at all, so I suggested we look for someone to open her office.  While we looked for someone to open her office, we looked around at the exhibits.  We looked at centipedes and anthropoids and some other stuff I can’t spell or say. There were bugs of all shapes and sizes, in aquariums—some filled with water and I was 10 years old again. Ooo-ing and ahh-ing at the sites!

 

 

Then Torrence asked, “You know they have a Butterfly House, wanna go look?” 
“Sure,” I said, “might as well, since we’re here.”

When we stepped into the Butterfly House, I was amazed. It was as if we’d stepped into a magical forest where the butterflies lived with their own government and society. The butterfly house was not a house of aquariums where each butterfly is categorized and identified by a plaque. No, the butterfly house contains butterflies of all designs and hues, flying freely. And they were not alone, there were also several different birds flying from tree to tree, plant to plant as if they ruled and we humans were their servants.

 

 

 

Yeah, yeah, yeah back to my—our proposal. We began to walk around and he said he would ask a worker in there if she would help him get his keys. So, I got a pamphlet, sat down on the bench and called my mother.  She hadn't called me at her regular time, so I called her.  She immediately asked me if I had any news.  I was confused and talked to her like she was off her rocker, “No, I do not have any news for you, what type of news should I have?” She quickly got me off the phone because she was in rehearsal, but asked me to be sure to call her back later that day.

Torrence came back in suggested that we look around. So, I got a my little pamphlet and here comes the 10 year old again.  I matched the butterflies flutter around to the ones on the pamphlet; pointing them out to Torrence and having a blast.  I even picked-up a butterfly that was in the walk way. It sat on the pamphlet for a few moments before it spread its wings and flew away.

 

 

We ended our stroll underneath a massive tree with beautiful, long, pink, and fuzzy flowers. As I admired the water and rocks under the tree, Torrence said, “Shaundria Latrice today is your day.” As I turned to him, he got down on one knee and asked, “Will you marry me?” I was in shock, I just knew my alarm clock would go off at any minute (those of you that know me, know I dream in movies). Then I realized he was real and I was real and my real answer was, “YES!!!” He asked if I was sure and if I was positive. My answer stayed and will forever be YES.

He also presented me with a journal of letters that he had kept for over a year. He wrote love letters and journal entries of times he wanted to propose and just didn’t have everything he wanted to have together, together. This journal had entries from his mother, his brother in California, my mother, my father and a dear pastor friend. He also had receipts and mementoes from our relation back from before we were seriously dating—2005.

This journal and this day answered a lot of questions. It is a true testament that God is in control and when you can’t trace His hand, just trust His heart. No matter what people say to discourage or rush you—no matter what the situation looks like, be patient, trust God and His Promises.