Sparks

I’d visited the church of Mike and Tim several times and was getting to know them and some of their friends (all a year ahead of me in school) a lot better. My interactions with Tim up to that point had been few and far between. I knew from the year before that he’d been in a long-term relationship with a girl from another school and that she was popular, bubbly, and hilariously funny.

I also knew that he had dated a girl from our class with a, ahem, questionable reputation.
They had been co-leads in a school play and as the mini-me, high school version of Hollywood went, they were a stage romance that lasted right up to the curtain call. Take away the play and they had nothing in common. And it seemed she had far too much in “common” with far too many other guys.

So, ultimately I knew three things about Tim: he was a Christian and openly so, he had a few rough relationships behind him, and he had the voice of an angel. The first time I heard him sing, I told my mom that I wanted to bring him home, sit him on my dresser, and let him sing me to sleep every night.

In November of 1990, both Tim and I attended the birthday party of a mutual friend. There was lots of food, people, and a camp fire in the back yard for roasting marshmallows. That’s where a group of us had gathered until it began to rain very lightly. The girls in the group ran for the house, fear of wet hairspray driving them in like cattle. The guys were quick to follow. But for some reason, I didn’t move. I just sat there in the quiet, watching the flames dance and hearing the tiny “tssss” of rain drops hitting the hot coals. And there, sitting directly across from me was Tim.

We didn’t say a word. Just sat there staring at the fire, sneaking occasional glances at each other. I don’t know how much time passed but I think we would have sat there all night. It was as though something was drawing us into that moment and neither of us was willing to break the spell. Unfortunately, someone inside took note of our absence and yelled out the door, “What are you doing? It’s raining.”
As we rejoined the party there were several odd looks and questioning remarks, “What were you guys doing out there?” I couldn’t have answered that question to save my life. I never could explain what happened that night but I know beyond a shadow of a doubt –that’s where it all began.