Every love story is unique in its own way. The theme of our love story is God’s timing. We’ve always heard that God’s timing is perfect and most of us have experienced it but, somehow, when situations arise, we still try to take things into our own hands.
In 2014, a friend introduced Nick and I during a weekend church service. A few months later, I was invited to be a youth leader where Nick was one of the youth pastors. We became friends and started sitting together with another friend at church each week. I thought he was goofy and fun and knew he loved the Lord.
Nick invited me to a concert and I quickly said yes, but then started freaking out the moment I walked away wondering if it was a date. Long story short we had a great time! I left the hangout thinking it wasn’t a date because he didn’t buy my dinner or open my door. A couple days later he texted me again inviting me to another concert. I was given wrong information by a family member that this concert was with his whole family and I would be “meeting the parents.” I was not ready for that as I didn’t even know if I liked him. So I told him I was busy and couldn’t go and found out many months later that he went alone. Because I rejected him, in his words, he took it as I wasn’t interested. We stayed friends, texted here and there, hung out in the same group of friends a lot and well life went on. But of course that’s when my feelings started kicking in.
January 2016 he took me on 3 extravagant “friend” dates. I vividly remember one of them, in which we were sitting in a lounge high up somewhere in downtown LA. He was looking out the window and I thought to myself, “I could marry this guy one day.” I definitely thought he liked me too and I was excited where it seemed to be going and then… nothing. Little did I know he had a lot of other things going on at work and in his personal life, but let’s just say that was a rough next 8 months for me. During this time God was working in both our hearts on how to trust Him more. I grew a lot over the next year especially during the difficult parts. One of my favorite songs during this time was “Trust In You” by Lauren Daigle.
Fast forward to the New Years Eve of 2016 heading into 2017. I had a small gathering at my house that Nick decided to attend and we had a great time. That night my roommate looked at me and said..ooooo you like him again. I was so annoyed because I totally did.
A few months later, he asked me to a concert again, to which I gladly said yes. As always we had a great time and I left feeling confident I didn’t like him and we could officially move on and just be friends. We hung out a couple more times. For my birthday, we went to meet his niece after she was born, and then the night finally came…he asked me to join him on a very fancy night celebrating New Years Eve (eve).
The night was amazing and magical. I woke up the next day and tried to shake the thought and feelings but was very excited to get his text asking me to hangout again a couple days later.
Fun fact - Nick and I have celebrated New Year’s Eve together since 2014! It’s fun to look back at how God worked those silly details into our story that we weren’t even aware of all those years.
On January 3rd, he awkwardly marched into my house right past me, no hug or anything, was rambling about who knows what and went to the fridge and got some water. So I just sat down on the couch, knowing something was up. He sat down and went straight into it. “So I think we should be together!” I said ah ookkaayy. He said great! I guess we’re together now.” And his whole demeanor changed in a good way. I was confused and thought, “Wait, so we are officially together? Did I just agree to boyfriend and girlfriend status that quickly?” Who knows. I just went along with it because I knew deep down I would regret it if I didn’t try. Nick then looked at me and said, “Okay.. now I’m going to try and talk you out of wanting to be with me.”
Nick proceeded to tell me all that God was doing in his life and what he felt called to do in his future. Church Plant. So let’s just say I knew from the very beginning what I was signing up for.
We started dating in January. Nick said I love you 3 weeks in, I said it 1.5 months in and from then on we knew we wanted to get married. We were ready. His family was good with it, our church friends were into it, but all my close friends and my family were a little hesitant. Maybe they were just being protective because they didn’t know him at all and all they knew was this guy took me on all these extravagant dates, which lead me on to then end up hurting me by not choosing me way back then.
So when Nick asked my parents, 2 months in, for their blessing, my dad told him not yet. Nick was devastated and maybe even a little frustrated because he felt this was the right thing and the next steps in our relationship. I knew this was going to be part of my testimony. I was confident that Nick was the man that God wanted me to partner with, to support and help in his calling and all I needed to do was stay faithful to the Lord through the ups and downs.
Timing. It’s such a funny thing. We think the timing is right but God has a few things to teach us along the way. Many people grew during this waiting period and so much good came out of it.
So in summary: We met in 2014. Both liked each other at different times. Both dated other people at different times. The timing was just never right for us until 4 years later when God opened Nick’s eyes and brought us together. We’ve now been married for 4 years and as we look back we realize that God’s timing is so much better than ours. If we would have gotten together in 2014, our marriage would have been very difficult. When we sit in God’s will and His perfect timing, things are so much better. We will later come to realize that this will be the theme of our lives.
So if you’re reading this and struggling with trusting in the Lord I want to encourage you with these truths!
Proverbs 3:5-6
“Trust in the LORD with all your heart and understanding; in all your ways submit to him, and he will make your paths straight.”
Psalm 37:3-6
"Trust in the Lord and do good; dwell in the land and enjoy safe pasture. Take delight in the Lord, and he will give you the desires of your heart. Commit your way to the Lord; trust in him and he will do this: He will make your righteous reward shine like the dawn, your vindication like the noonday sun."
1 John 5:14
"This is the confidence we have in approaching God: that if we ask anything according to his will, he hears us."
Philippians 4:4-7
"Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice! Let your gentleness be evident to all. The Lord is near. Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus."
Matthew 6:25-34
“Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothes? Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they? Can any one of you by worrying add a single hour to your life? "And why do you worry about clothes? See how the flowers of the field grow. They do not labor or spin. Yet I tell you that not even Solomon in all his splendor was dressed like one of these. If that is how God clothes the grass of the field, which is here today and tomorrow is thrown into the fire, will he not much more clothe you—you of little faith? So do not worry, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ For the pagans run after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them. But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well. Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own."
Jess T.
Prayer requests:
That our marriage would be unified in Christ and always growing
Please pray that I would respect and encourage Nick on this journey
That our relationship would be an encouragement to other couples
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