How We Met: John and I were both serving and worshipping in the same Church for 2 years before ever meeting each other. We had friends point us out to one another and over time we warmed up to the idea of meeting up. We ended up going on a date, and the first date was a total flop. I know, right? So awkward.
But, he asked me on a second date. So I thought… ok, let me give this another shot. We met up again over coffee, and got into an argument. I told him that I could tell he was being fake with me and I just needed him to be real if this was going to be anything. He stared at me in total disbelief and realized “this girl is the real deal”. He opened up right there to me and began telling me things he’d never told anyone else.
We talked for hours and hours that day, non-stop. We only realized it had been hours because the manager of the Barnes and Nobles we were in came over to us the the back of the store, sitting on the ground laughing hysterically, told us they had already locked the doors because it was past their closing time. And that is how it has been for John and I over the past two years. I can talk to him for hours and feel like there’s still so much to talk about.
He is my best friend. We really began to fall in love so easily because we both care about the same things. We serve side by side in the youth ministry because we really care about being positive role models for this generation. We are both side by side in ministry school, learning more about the love of God and applying it daily by serving the community around us. We really have the same vision in life. We want to inspire people to know how much they are loved and cared about, and help them to reach significance, rather than success. I never thought the day would come that we would be engaged because everything we do is volunteer based. Being in ministry means you make no money, but your life is so filled with joy and love because everything you do is about something much bigger than yourself. That’s the life we live together.
how they asked: The story goes like this…
It was my sisters graduation day. I had been sick on doctor ordered bed rest for 3 weeks. Over one of those days prior to her graduation, a friend of mine sent me a text message saying he wanted to surprise my sister with a cake after graduation. I am a youth leader at my church, and my sisters graduation was happening on a youth night, so my friend suggested coming by the church after the graduation ceremony to surprise her and make her think that she was just saying “hi” to everyone, but instead there would be a cake and balloons waiting there for her. I agreed and thought, “what a great idea!” So, after my sisters graduation ceremony, I drove her to the church. She jumped out of the car and ran inside, cap and gown nearly blowing in the wind. Remember, I had been incredibly sick on bed rest and this was my first outing since then. So I did my best to run inside after her so that I wouldn’t miss her big surprise. I came around the corner of the youth room door and hear “SURPRISE!!!” coming out of 50 voices. I stared in shock as 50 of the closest people to me were standing in this room… my parents, my boyfriends parents, our grandparents, our fellow youth leaders, our youth kids, people we have mentored, our mentors, our pastors, our friends… and they were all smiling at me. Then… I heard it. Our song was playing over the loud speakers in the room: “Make You Feel My Love”. It was at that exact second that I realized all of this was actually for me, and I was about to spend the last 5 seconds of my life as John’s girlfriend. In seconds, I was going to become his fiance’ and life was about to get a whole lot more special. Looking around the room, I found him, in the crowd of people and I froze in place. He smiled and began to walk towards me in the last steps he would take as my boyfriend. The love of my life got down on one knee in front of everybody that we love, and instantly my whole world was changed. All of this happen, not only in front of the people we care about, but also in the room that started it all. John and I are crazy about youth ministry and we love to serve God’s people in that place. He asked me to spend the rest of my life with him in the room that started it all for us. Two kids, who love God and His people, met while serving Him, fell in love, and made the commitment to spend their lives together in the room that has given us so much joy. I couldn’t have asked for a more precious moment.