From Bethany's blog
Anyway… I got a phone call from my Mama yesterday morning on our way to the airport that sweet Jon and Sherri Rivers on their weekend countdown show spilled the beans before I got to! I’m ENGAGED! I can’t wait to share with y’all about it… the shows I’ve been doing the past month have been pretty funny… people noticing SOMETHING on my finger… a ring, maybe? : )
And, honestly, in the chaos of the past month, I’ve thought multiple times about sitting down and writing a journal about it… and have really thought out how to first share it with all of you… because, no matter how cheesy it sounds, all of you who are part of the community here in Beth’s Journal Land, and those who so faithfully make it out to shows and say hi to my brother and I – we consider you dear, dear friends. And, even beyond that, family. We all are attached to and captivated by the same Unsearchable God… our hearts crying out in one voice, “ABBA!”
So, my sweet family, there’s my news! BIG news, I know… but my heart was to share it with you here instead of you hearing about it elsewhere… for you to know that you are welcomed into this story and that our heart is to share all of the God-ordained sweetness of it with you!
OH! Ok… so I bet you’re wondering who it is! Well, for about ten months now, Shane Barnard and I have been seeing each other… as most of you know, I’ve been friends with that whole Shane & Shane crew for about four years… and he has always, always been a kindred spirit. So last fall, after lots of seeking His heart, we started dating… which looked very different, since he was touring and I was writing and recording. But, by the mighty grace of God, it GREW… and a living analogy of His pursuit of the Church, His bride, began! (Are y’all thinking about those mysterious love songs on the new record? Now you know!)
I don’t think I’ve shared much about my thoughts on dating before… or, even finding the person that He desires you to build the Kingdom with… the person to spend your life with. Probably the biggest reason was because I’d never really dated! But, He really had set my heart on just being satisfied in Him FIRST… before I ever entered a relationship with someone else. Last summer was when I went to spend ten days in India… came back and was totally and completely wrecked… seeing and loving Jesus better than I ever had in my life. What a sovereign thing that Shane happened right after that. : ) Gosh… there are so many things I’ve learned about the Lord’s heart for me through Shane… I wish I could sit with you over a cup of coffee right now and share them all! Maybe more songs will happen and I can better share that way. : )
The semi-shortened version is this: I’m getting hitched to the Godliest, humblest, sweetest man on the planet! What a blessing to get to share my life with the best friend I’ve ever had! He and I both have just shook our heads at it… we are SO undeserving of something as good as this! Well, I know I am, at least. I’ve never dated anyone besides Shane, and I totally believe that to be the provision of God in my life… YET… I know lots of people who have dated a bunch before finding their spouse, and it’s just as ordained by Him! We have leaned in as close as we possibly could to hear what He would say… where He would lead. And this is it! Shane and I are so excited to be walking in obedience… walking in the direction of what He has prepared for us. What an adventure the Christward life really is! : )
Oooh, what a difference a year can make, huh? : ) My poor Mama… Bub’s getting married in October, and then I drop this on her! Haha! But it’s been so good… Shane is actually flying here to Ohio tomorrow afternoon to spend a few days with the whole zoo of my family… I’m so excited to see him! We both head out for fall tours in a month, which will definitely be a growing time for us. He’s really impressing on the both of us how to be satisfied in HIM first… and we’ve been forced to learn that since we only see each other about once a month… He knows what He’s doing. : )
And to answer the last question y’all may have for now… we’re both touring through next spring, and still looking at dates and considering when would be the best time to get married and have TIME to be married before we head back out on the road. If you think about it, we would covet your prayers in making a decision! We want only what He wants for us.
"If you want a religion that makes sense, then I suggest something other than Christianity. But if you want a religion that makes life, then I think this is the one."
~Rich Mullins~
"My calling as a Christian is to know the lyrics of the gospel so well that its music resonates through my whole being to the delight of my Father, anytime, anywhere."
~Steven Curtis Chapman - Speechless: Living In Awe Of God's Disruptive Grace~