In Honor of Today

I was digging through archives and found this:

February 2009

There is so much that I could wish for. Really. I mean even though it probably won't come true, wishing that something interesting won't always happen when I travel isn't a bad thing. Because something always happens. And right now I'm sitting in the Kala Lumpier airport watching two very protective looking guards walk around on patrol thinking about what I just lived through.

Looking back, I wish I had just one guy friend there with me, just to be a presence. I wish I had the F-off written on my forehead like P. I wish I knew more about explaining my faith to Muslims. I wish I wasn't so darn available. I almost even wish I didn't have big green eyes and lots of freckles.

His name is Casey. He is from Africa, (very good looking, thick ghetto accent, flashy clothes big earrings in each ear) I don't remember where, somewhere on the west side. All I was doing was observing people, wondering, praying and taking pictures, when he suddenly asked, “Hey do you want to take my picture?” Well, since I'm here taking pictures, sure why not, I love taking pictures of people. So one picture, a little bit of chit-chat and a “Thanks!” and I'll be on my way to walk around and do my own thing. It didn't really work out that way.

Suddenly he was introducing himself, jumping off the ledge he was sitting on and standing a towering 6'4” or 6'5” right in front of me. And he was firing questions at me so quick I nearly couldn't hear all of them. At first all I could think about was being my polite southern raised self and kindly answer the few questions he had and then gently move away. He had more than a few questions, and gently moving away proved to be impossible. In fact after the questions moved from what I did for a living to “How old are you?” and “Do you have a boyfriend?” I really realized that I had for the first just by walking by caused someone to have a crush. And he was very forward about his crush. “Why don't you have a boyfriend?” This led to me telling him where I live, and why I want to have my whole heart there. “Can I have your phone number.” NO. “I don't want to lose contact with you, is there anyway I can talk to you?” Would you please stop asking me those questions? “Oh come one please!?” fine. I'll give you my rarely checked email address. “Where are you going?” To see a friend in Indonesia. “Is it a guy or girl?” You can't lie Alana. A girl.

Okay can I please go now? “Why don't we go over here and talk? I just can't let you go. I mean I've never talked to someone like you before. And did you know that you are so beautiful? Do you believe you're beautiful?” Yes, God made me that way. And dude, you aren't the first guy to tell me that. “God, you believe in God?” Yes, I'm a Christian. Jesus is my Savior. “Oh wow. I love you for that. I mean I believe in god. So lets go sit and talk.” I really want to run, but I'm thinking he's gonna follow me. Alright. “....Okay do you like to play games?” Sometimes. “I have this game that I like to play, I ask you questions and you ask me questions, anything and I have to answer them truthfully.” Okay.... But we have a limit Yeah I'm clever. We can only ask 10. “Okay I'm cool with that.”

He asked me just about everything, from if I believe in love, the romantic kind to who is my best friend, to how many siblings I have to is the Christian God the same as the Muslim God. And I asked him questions, hard ones. Like to him who is Jesus? If he were to die tonight would he go to heaven or hell? If he could change something in the world and make it a better place what would it be? He really didn't have answers for any of my questions. He just tried to talk his way out of things. He told me he was “Chrismilm.” Half Christian, because his mother is Christian. Half Muslim, because his dad is Muslim. I hate to point it out to you dude, but you can't be both. That is one weird combination of a family. Especially a family that stayed together until his father died.

I guess, I also wish I could say that I wasn't taken back when he for the fifth time told me I was just “so beautiful” or “You know I’ve been having lots of dreams lately. About the girl who I know is the one for me. I’ve seen her face clearly, and I know it’s you. So I’m going to ask you—are you the one from my dreams.” Big fat NO there. “No really, I think you are. Are you?” Um No. Really NO. I don’t think so.

Who is this forward anyway?

Over the last hour I was just myself, blunt to the point, sharing my faith as a girl completely in love with Jesus, a world changer, living the life that God has so graciously given me. How did he get to the conclusion that I was the girl of his dreams from that? He was impressed with my life. An English teacher in Taiwan, a photographer, and in his mind a preacher. I pray that he didn't miss that God is the one who gave me everyone of those things. I pray that he will quit seeing me and become impressed with God.

Why did this happen anyway? Could anything more crazy ever happen to me?

Well I finally did get away--but not before 2 more hours where up. And yes, there is more to the story.

Really, I laugh at how many proposal's I've had. This guy did ask me again to go back to Africa with him.. be the girl of his dreams. For serious. [bleck!] I counted up, I've had 5 dead-serious marriage proposals in my life. I'm not counting the ones that old men yelled at me while I was living overseas. All of those guys were wasting their breath, because I haven't said "yes" yet. Who knows maybe the 6th will be the one, it's not going to be coming soon though :)

This story is just for today. Because today is beautiful. And all archives and adventures should be shared. Especially when they are so darn awkward!

Just to wrap up the story I'll add a little more of what I wrote that night.

-Alana

I don't know how God is going to use me being real about Him and not taking any of the crap that Casey dished out as anything important. God is still God. And if my telling some of my passions and a little of my story will somehow make it to Africa and be used by the Spirit to do great things--I don't know. I still can't believe that I lived through that. And no Daddy I have no interest in being the girl of his dreams. No worries.