When I first saw Issabella, I knew. I’d heard countless stories of people having that moment of “knowing,” but I always thought it was nonsense. Friends and family would say, “When you know, you know,” but I never believed it. That changed the moment I walked past her. The instant I laid eyes on her, I ran to my best friend, Elijah, and shouted, “I just found my wife!” Suddenly, all those things people had said about knowing made sense.

That same night, I gathered all my roommates, sat them down, and told them I’d found “the one.” Of course, at this point, Issabella didn’t even know I existed. And for two months, it stayed that way because I thought, “I need to be better—I’m not ready for someone like her.”

So, I began working on myself—exercising, eating right, waking up early, and building healthy habits. But no matter what I did, I couldn’t get Bella out of my mind. I was convinced I had to become Captain America before I could properly introduce myself.

Then, one night at Bible study, I heard an older man say, “If you’re waiting to be ready for someone, you need to humble yourself because you’ll be waiting the rest of your life.”

Let’s just say, I asked her out the next day.

In David's pursuit, he consistently demonstrated his love—my room was filled with beautiful flowers, he took me on the most thoughtful dates, and he provided a profound sense of safety, among many other cherished gestures. However, I still didn’t grasp the sincerity and purity of his affections until a little while later...

God taught him the secret to pursuing me: to go slow… even though time seemed to fly by.

It felt like I’d known him my whole life without really knowing him at all & all I wanted was to be with him everyday.

In falling in love with him I learned the beauty in being present.

God didn’t allow my heart to wander or daydream; instead, He gifted me the time to be fully present with David. To feel it all. & embrace each moment. I soon realized I couldn’t imagine life without him- he became my best friend <3

It’s been a little over a year of David loving and pursuing me with great passion, and I have to say, everyday is truly a gift. He’s filled my days with laughter, a mature love, and a steady security I’ve never experienced before. He has been a steadfast presence in my life, not only in romance but also in mind and spirit. His love has been a profound gift, and I am filled with excitement to continue embracing life alongside him and with God, now within the beautiful mystery of covenant.

Our love, too, will remain alive and burning until eternity comes.

“Love never ends. But as for prophecies, they will come to an end; as for tongues, they will cease; as for knowledge, it will come to an end. For we know in part, and we prophesy in part, but when the perfect comes, the partial will come to an end. For now we see only a reflection as in a mirror, but then face to face. Now I know in part, but then I will know fully, as I am fully known. Now these three remain: faith, hope, and love — but the greatest of these is love.”

1 Corinthians 13:8-10, 12-13