From the Bride

My detailed recollection of this story starts a bit earlier than Ben’s. On October 22, 2019 during my freshman year at Indiana University, I met him through a campus ministry meeting. It wasn’t long after the meeting before I was reeled into a conversation with the charismatic, friendly, piano-playing Ben. I vividly recall going back to my dorm room telling my roommate, “I’ve just met my people! I feel like they’re going to be some of my best friends in college, maybe even life!” Ben had already left quite the impression. Little did I know I had just met my future husband. And I wasn’t even supposed to be there. But God led me to Woodburn Hall for some additional IU training on a “random” Tuesday night. Rather than “Once Upon a Time,” you could say “It Happened on a Tuesday.”

Though Ben was a senior when we met, he ended up staying at IU for two more years to pursue his master’s degree. Our friendship grew through ministry, music school, and dear friends Matthew and Ellen, as we often found ourselves thrown together during their dating relationship. I always liked Ben, and he would probably admit he was fond of me too. But over the course of those three years and some months, we both were unavailable in the relationship department.

We reconnected at Matthew and Ellen’s wedding in January 2023. I suppose that’s when you could say it truly started. Not seeing Ben since May 2022, I was eager to catch up with him and observe the union of our sweet friends. I’m not sure what I was expecting, but seeing Ben again struck a chord with me. Somehow his heart for God and care for others was even more apparent and compelling than when I had seen him nearly every day. But what does a girl do upon discovering she has feelings for her best friend’s husband’s best friend, who is also a good friend of her own?? She makes the first move, of course…so I texted him. (I would NOT have texted if I felt the text wouldn’t be received well. But after that wedding weekend, I knew I had a chance!)

That text rapidly grew into more texts, Facetime calls, letters, etc. Ben was quick to ask me for a first date, which happened in February 2023 when I was out on the East Coast for a grad school audition. From there, monthly visits (give or take a few days) were made between IN, VA, MD, and SC. When I moved to MD in the fall of 2023 to begin my graduate school journey, Ben was graciously there, right alongside me. This past year with many life changes hasn’t proved easy, but having my best friend only 42 miles away (instead of 465 or 648!) makes it much more enjoyable. God drew us together in our walk with Him and each other for a year and four months, until June 29th, 2024, when Ben proposed! We’re not perfect by any means, but I have confidence that we are called to serve the Lord together, and I’m thankful for the life partner God allowed me to find in Ben. He truly gave us much more than we could have asked or imagined.

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