Hannah and I met at Backyard Shakespeare three years ago. I was playing Shylock and she was Solanio. We parted ways that year as casual friends, although she gave me a goodbye hug the last performance. I remember that hug vividly. It was the first hug anyone outside my family gave me. We might have chatted once during the year. Drama experiences work that way. You work and become very close to a group of people and then when the last bow is taken, and the costumes put away, everyone goes their separate ways.
Hannah didn’t participate in the second year of Backyard Shakespeare. I want to say parents stopped her from attending. I’m not that sure on that point, so don’t quote me on it. We saw each other, but in passing at the performance.
Finally, there was last summer of Backyard Shakespeare. I was Third Murderer in Macbeth while she was First Witch. It was great banter material.
“You’re a witch.”
“Well, you are a murderer.”
“Once a witch always a witch!”
“I’ll put a hex on you”
“Ohhhhh!”
We started talking, these long, lengthy messages on Facebook. One day Hannah writes to me and says “hey I kinda want to talk to you about something that's important to me..... Is it ok if I call you?”
Well, what am I to say, no? I told her a good time and then I waited. That night, I got this strong attraction to Hannah. In my single days, I would get these “crushes." In the past, I would push the feelings down and fight them. This time I prayed, “Lord, if this is the time to start a relationship, specifically with Hannah, let me know.”
I think God answered my prayer though Hannah’s phone call the next day. The important thing Hannah stammered out was that she liked me. She liked me for awhile. And I said “ummmmmmm well… I… Like you… As a friend….” It wasn’t easy on Hannah for that conversation. I liked her, but what would it mean if I told her? What would happen? I had no idea how this relationship stuff would work. Diving into a relationship could hurt both of us. I didn’t want that to happen.
I left the conversation thinking that Hannah understood I kinda liked her, but I was cautious about jumping into a relationship. Hannah thought I said I wasn’t really that interested. Thus began a month of misunderstanding. Hannah thought we would go our separate ways, but every time she was almost over me, I would reply to our messages on Facebook, setting off all those feelings in Hannah again.
I am a guy (obviously) and I had no clue what was going on with Hannah. Thank God for friends. My guy friends, all who never had a relationship, gave me free advice. “What?! You didn’t tell her you liked her back? Ugh, I should slap you!” Another, a mutual friend, finally alerted me to the fact that I better tell Hannah my feelings because she was beginning to “wonder if it was worth it.”
Hannah was seriously depressed at this time. It was so bad that it was affecting her schoolwork. One December 14th, she was lying in her bed; in tears praying to God that if this relationship was meant to be, give her some sign. She was finally going to let it go.
Like me, her prayers were answered with a phone call. My call to tell her I liked her as well. I told her I didn’t know what this would mean, what was expected, but I thought it was God’s will and I would give it a try.
Hannah and I aren’t dating, nor are we courting; it’s something in between. Since we are both homeschooled, we call it courting. Our goal is simply to glorify God through our relationship. We both like it this way as it is more organic—how a relationship should be.
Two weeks ago, we finally had our first outing together when we saw the movie Avatar. It was the best movie I ever saw. Of course, having your arm around your girl’s shoulders improves any movie.
Our relationship is a long-distance one. Some say that long-distance relationships don’t work, but this is a relationship founded on trust. We trust in God that if this is truly His story, He will see that the ending ends like a fairy tale: they lived happily ever after.
I love you Hannah Glenister!
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