So how did the proposal rollout, exactly? Dan told Maranatha she had to take a day off work; it would be a day just for the two of them. But when he told her plans had changed and he could only make it for the afternoon. Maranatha was irritated, how could he? But, the sweetheart that she is, she very soon got over it. On “special day” she received an early morning text that began a string of missions she had to accomplish accompanied by riddles. Her first destination led her to a beautiful Mother’s Day card that included a full-page letter on how much Dan valued and appreciated her (heart melt!). On the back cover of the card, Dan created a map pointing out the next destination with a time and an address. Maranatha couldn’t help looking up the address: it was a Spa, but she was still suspicious, thinking, maybe it was just a checkpoint.

When she arrived at the spa, she texted Dan “Am I suppose to go in?”. “Yes, go in” he replied. Maranatha registered at the front desk and the receptionist listed out a full list of services Dan had her booked for — 5 hours worth of pampering!! At the end of her dreamy spa experience, she walked back to her car to find a *hand-delivered* note in her car door. The note read “check your CD box” and she found a second Mother’s Day card that had another riddle in it that led her to their favourite bookstore! Once she arrived, there was a special order reserved for her with her name on it! By this point, Maranatha was overwhelmed with feeling so loved by Dan and literally started crying tears of joy because of it all!!

Once she arrived, she was greeted by an employee, asking her if she was “the scavenger hunt lady”! Maranatha read the letter to the store clerk and then waited for him to hand over the mysterious package that she was to pick up. He immediately reached down beside the cash register and pulled out a big white bag and gave it to her. She reached into the bag to find a white leather Bible that matched Dan’s and a Bible devotional for couples for them to read together which meant so much to her. She then remembered how when they had first met, they got matching t-shirts with the scripture about “Iron sharpening Iron” in Proverbs 27: 17 and how somewhere along the way Dan had misplaced his. She saw it in the store and knew he always felt bad about this; she thought for a moment that she should just buy him a new one, but something inside me said, “Don’t buy another one, he will be wearing it when you get home!”

She then received a text from Dan. She returned home. There he stood in her laneway, with the Iron sharpens iron t-shirt on – he bought a new one that very day! He had also prepared some appetizers after her long day and then hung out. The day was not over yet! Dan made a reservation at a fancy restaurant in London. Now she was convinced he was going to propose! After a delicious steak dinner and dessert, she was positive she saw him reach into his coat pocket. But no ring. And no proposal. Maranatha came to the conclusion Dan wasn’t going to ask her to marry him that evening, and that he must have done all of this because he appreciated her. On the drive back home, Maranatha started nodding off.

Once they pulled into the laneway at her house, she woke up just enough to walk to the door. She appreciated all that Dan had done for her and insisted he go through the doorway first. Well apparently Dan had also arranged family to decorate the house while they were out (what doesn’t this guy think of??), and there was a lined pathway with candles on both sides and rose peddles in the centre leading to her room. Maranatha could not believe everything that had happened so far… she was so overwhelmed by all the love that she burst into complete laughter. She then followed the pathway of roses to find a heart on her bed with a box of her absolute favourite chocolates “Rheo Thompson Mint smoothies,” and a ring.

Dan started to shake as he approached her. Maranatha’s heart was soo full, knowing he was real and this moment was real. He grabbed the ring and he told her he wanted to spend the rest of his life serving her, then he got down on one knee and asked if she would be his bride forever. She knew for a while that he was the one for her, she was so proud of him and the man that he was. Maranatha then got down on my knees beside him, smiling at each other and looking into his eyes, she said “Yes.

Gosh!! What a great proposal story, right?