Pro-Con.

I was dressed up like a hipster (which was really not very difficult). Complete with "ster" written on a 3x5 card on my hip (get it?). As I walked around talking to everybody at PBF, my church's college ministry on Friday nights, I walked by someone and they started laughing.

Naturally, I turned around to see what was so funny. There was this kid with his jeans belted tightly around his waist, a taped logo on his polo, and a well-trimmed goatee. Then, it clicked in my mind. He was dressed up as the college pastor. I laughed at his costume, and he actually understood mine (and thought it was funny, hence the laugh).

Then, that was that.

Turns out, I saw this kid a growing amount after the hipster-pastor encounter. There was just something about his uncanny ability to laugh and find joy in any situation. Not to mention, when I invited a friend from one of my classes to the PBF barn dance, he went out of his way to be friendly and bring her into the group. That didn't go unnoticed by me.

We hung out more. I thought he was a solid guy and had potential to be super good friend. He jokingly put his number in my phone as "God" one night after a lengthy game of signs. Promptly following that incident, I asked "God" for a pony and a Red Rider bee-bee gun. As of today, neither request has been answered.

Anywho.

And, like it always seems to happen, the more time I spent with him, the more he challenged me to do crazy things. For example, listen to sermons...for fun...enjoy the life God gave me, and not stress out about minor details. You would think that I would start liking him. But, truth be told, I didn't even let myself go there. Why? Well, that's complicated. The main reason had to do with the fact that I wasn't even thinking about guys. At all. And, who am I to assume that someone who is so passionate about God would actually like me?

So, I had to choose not to think about it.

He was thinking, though.

After a good bit of sarcastic texting, a couple phone calls, and some actual serious discussions, I got a text asking me to "pencil in" a fun little outing for the upcoming Saturday. Could he really be asking me on a date? Psh. No. I convinced myself that we were just friends. After all, he hadn't said anything otherwise.

We had an appetizer at one restaurant, then moved on to the entree at a classy joint downtown. Stuffed after all the comida we had eaten, we opted out of dessert and headed to a hole-in-the-wall place to get some java (introducing him to one of the places only the locals know about). After 20 minutes of solid conversation, I just couldn't take it any longer. Did this boy like me? Spit.It.Out. I stopped choosing not to think about it.

Just as I had mustered up enough guts to just ask him, he reached into his pocket. He pulled an envelop out and handed it to me. Tentatively, I opened it. It contained a sheet of paper, folded into fourths. As I opened it up, I saw the words perfectly constructed and organized. It was a poem.

Knowing that all good things come at the end of poems, I skimmed over the top portion (inserting a chuckle here and there to make him think I was actually reading it..no worries, I've read it many times since then). I landed at the end. "So if you would like to entertain the idea of us dating, I propose a pro-con list for some serious evaluating."

Oh boy. This guy knows my love of everything pro-con, especially lists.

I folded up the letter, not knowing what to say. Yes, sure, thank you? Finally I formed the following words: " I guess we could probably start making a pro-con list, now" (so original and cute, yeah? no, not really at all).

So, ever since then, I've been adding things to the list (always pros, except for the fact that I'm convinced that my family likes him more than me now). God has been faithful in little and big things all my life. And, beyond just being faithful, he has been exceedingly gracious. Gracious enough to bring this kid (since he's older than me, can I call him that? Oh well, too late now, I suppose) across my path. For that, I am thankful.