The Story of Us. Part Four.

* The Disclaimer

That Year (1997-1998)

I have a few memories about that year before I get to the "how we became us" part.

Playing together in the praise band served the purpose of putting us together every Sunday and Wednesday. The drummer was offstage. The singers and our leader were on another part of the stage - so usually, it was "Mike and me." I confess that it didn't take me that long to become really impressed (ok, smitten?) with him.

I remember telling one of the singers in the band that he had a really good voice. And I remember her telling me that she heard a really bad voice and wasn't sure if it was Mike or the sound guy.

I remember that I was struck by the sincerity of his praying. When our band prayed together before a worship service, I couldn't believe that a teenager could pray that way.

I remember that one day, I got to miss school to lead worship with the band at SCS's chapel service, followed by lunch at Mexican Inn where he sat across from me. And that I discovered that he loved art and had drawn a picture of--- and decided not to tell me who it was. And I think I know who it was.

I remember telling a friend that I was not going to date anyone until after grad school and that at that time, it would be a person that was going into music ministry since I was also being called in that direction. That was on Friday night. On Sunday, Mike told an intern that he was going into music ministry. In front of that friend and me.

I remember that our nickname for Mike - in Mrs. Metcalf's class - was "atom" because "we had chemistry." (Remember, 15.)

I remember that I cried all the way home when I found out that he was moving back to Virginia in December. My brother and sister remember this, too. They remind me often.

I remember that I wrote two letters before receiving his one. And his was really deep and thought-provoking and spiritual compared to my silly ones. And he spelled my name with a "y."

This is the first-ever-taken picture of us. We have no idea who took it. It was posted on a bulletin board in the back of the Backstage room and at some point after Mike was gone, I took it and have managed to keep up with it all these years. I love it because you can see Mike's personality in it. Along with me concentrating really hard and being quite void of personality! And because we were ministering together through music. And that's just plain neat.