The "Just Us" First Date

Back in 2007 I had two friends named Ben and Levi who were on staff together at a local church in our area. Both of them attended seminary with John Allen. For several months they wanted me to meet JAM. I was hesitant but finally agreed. We all went out together multiple times as a group and things were fun, conversation flowed, and within about 3 weeks of meeting, John Allen went out for our first “just us” date. I was incredibly excited for it. He came and picked me up and had three balloons-red, white, and blue tied together to my favorite candy-a Take5. Side note-the balloons were very festive and fourth of July like and it was the month of March. It was sweet, it’s the thought that counts! 

I get into John Allen’s car and it was cramped. had a very “lived in” feel. and very cramped. It was cramped because he basically lived in his car. He was living in Independence, on staff at Wyatte Baptist Church in Wyatte as the youth pastor, and trying to date a girl who lived in Germantown so he was ALWAYS in his car. 

We are driving along and he had told me when he first picked me up that he had not been feeing well that day but he didn’t want to cancel. For that I was grateful. Down the road we go and the chatting continued about his grandmothers cooking, how his week had gone, and this and that. All of the sudden the chatting abruptly stopped. I look to the left and John Allen has this look on his face that is forever engrained in my mind.

Sheer terror with a hint of embarrassment.  

About two seconds later his cheeks look like we have started to play chubby bunny but not with marshmallows, with vomit. Side not: I grew up in a home with 3 sisters so to hear a grown man throw up for the first time due to food poisoning was a sound I was not aware an individual could make. 

He tells people that for a spit second he thought, “I can swallow the vomit and I don’t think she will ever notice a thing.”  

#whatintheworld #Imsittingrightnexttoyou

He yanks the steering wheel to the left, pulls over in front of a beautiful picturesque home in Germantown and vomits and vomits and vomits. Finally he sits up with tears streaming down his face, looks over at me and says, “Can you please hand me the blue shirt from the back seat so I can wipe off my mouth?” And in that very moment I’m praising Jesus for the “lived in-cramped” car feel! 

We were engaged three months later and married six months after that. It has been 7 years and I adore being married to the man I call my husband. He truly exemplifies sacrifice, unconditional love, fatherhood, leadership, and servanthood amongst our marriage. Our marriage is far from perfection, but I am overwhelmingly thankful I get to do life with him each and every day.