Joseph Duggar Told That He’s Taking One Of His Father-In-Law’s ‘Most Precious Gifts’ On ‘Counting On’

Before Joseph Duggar got down on onr knee in front of Kendra Caldwell, he had to face the even more daunting task of asking her father for his blessing to marry her. Joseph admitted that he was nervous about seeking permission to pop the question, and his future father-in-law didn’t make things any easier for him.

Joseph Duggar, 22, and Kendra Caldwell, 19, had been courting for less than three months when Joseph decided that he was ready to put a ring on her finger. Kendra’s father, Paul Caldwell, is the pastor at the Duggar family’s church, so Joseph had a little added pressure on him when he asked his girlfriend’s dad for her hand in marriage. If Pastor Caldwell had said no, Sunday morning church services could have become rather uncomfortable for the Duggars and the Caldwells.

However, Pastor Caldwell did give Joseph his blessing to marry Kendra, and Counting On viewers will get to witness that big moment during tonight’s episode of the Duggar family’s TLC series. In a sneak peek shared by the Duggar Family Blog, Joseph visits Pastor Caldwell at his office. The Duggar son tells the Counting On cameras that he had butterflies in his stomach ahead of their important man-to-man conversation, and he’s clearly nervous when he sits down in front of the pastor; he begins wringing his hands while he states the reason for his visit.

“I just had a question I was going to ask you, regarding that Kendra and I have been talking now and courting for a while now, and I just wanted — before I stepped any further into the relationship, I wanted to get your permission to ask her if it’d be all right to marry her,” Joseph says in the preview. “I wanted to ask you first.”

Pastor Caldwell initially responds by silently staring at Joseph for a few tense moments. When he finally speaks, he ratchets the tension up by not immediately giving Joseph his blessing. Instead, the pastor notes that getting engaged is “a big step.”

“It is a big step,” Joseph agrees.

However, what Pastor Caldwell says next is reassuring. He lets Kendra’s nervous beau know that he has already had conversations with his daughter about her future, and he believes that the Lord wants her to become a Duggar. However, his blessing comes with a warning.

“We’ve talked for many, many hours. I really feel like the Lord is leading in this direction, but I do want to remind you, you’re taking one of my most precious gifts.”

Tonight’s two-hour episode of Counting On, which airs at 8 p.m. ET on TLC, will mainly focus on Joy-Anna Duggar and Austin Forsyth’s wedding. However, their nuptials played an important role in Joseph’s proposal to Kendra. As reported by Us Weekly, Joseph popped the question to Kendra at Joy-Anna and Austin’s wedding reception.

Counting On fans won’t have to wait long to watch Joseph Duggar and Kendra Caldwell walk down the aisle. According to TV Guide, their one-hour wedding episode will air October 23 at 9 p.m. ET on TLC.

[Featured Image by Duggar Family/Facebook]