I met Isabel a few weeks before beginning our time together at Calvin University. We were ‘randomly’ set up by a few mutual friends to be roommates and quickly became the best of friends. Due to beginning college during a global pandemic Isabel and I spent A LOT of time together in our dorm room getting to know each other and found that we had a lot in common. We were both single, both planning to pursue nursing, and both excited about the seemingly limitless possibilities that college would bring. I was ecstatic to have a single friend to meet all of the “eligible bachelors” we had heard would be waiting for us at Calvin.

Calvin’s class of 2024 freshman orientation looked different than in years past, given COVID, and our class was ‘randomly’ assigned orientation groups to navigate the first weekend and weeks of college. My dreams of meeting cute boys with my roommate were unfortunately (for me) ruined when the first day of freshman orientation Isabel came into our room raving about a kind boy who opened the door for her and “actually seemed normal”. As orientation events continued I learned this boy’s name was Nate and he was from Kansas, of all places. A few nights after hearing about this boy from Kansas, I received an invitation to hang out with him and Isabel and go for a world-renowned “Calvin walk”. Thus began the 4 year (and counting) journey of third-wheeling two of my favorite people. These Calvin walks became a pretty regular occurrence since not much else was going on around Campus. On these Calvin walks I picked up on the spark between these two “friends” and enjoyed the opportunity to get to know Nate better.

Although our Calvin walks were great fun, eventually Nate and Isabel *did* hang out without me and I got to hear even more about this boy from Kansas as Isabel got to know him individually, but unfortunately, this is not where I bow out of the story. After a few weeks of consistently hanging out with Nate, Isabel was beginning to become frustrated as Nate was timidly pursuing her. After one night of hanging out with him she said to me, “I just don't know what he’s thinking? Do you think he likes me?” and as any good roommate would do, I took the opportunity to try my hand as a relationship therapist. I texted him and gave him a gentle shove in the right direction. After a long semester of timid pursuit, gentle shoving, and lots of third wheeling, Isabel and Nate became an official pair. Throughout the spring semester, I quickly realized this was no “freshman frenzy” relationship and that Nate and Isabel were simply meant to be...no randomness about it. Over the next few years, I continued to third-wheel and watch as Isabel and Nate became each other’s best friends. They worked through difficult situations and showed up for each other in the most important ways. Of course, there is so much more to this couple's love story (find me at the wedding, and I’ll tell you all about it) but somewhere along the lines our Calvin walks turned into movie nights at each other's houses, or “family dinners” with our college friend group, and eventually into engagements and wedding planning.

Throughout all of life's inevitable ups and downs, I have seen Nate be consistent, honest, kind, generous, and considerate towards Isabel, and Isabel be genuine, compassionate, thoughtful, and selfless towards Nate. Both Isabel and Nate have become incredibly valuable and precious friends to me and I am so beyond grateful to stand up in their wedding to honor them and their love.

PS - Is & Nate, thanks for allowing me the privilege of watching your love story unfold -- I know God holds your future & has hemmed you in behind and before! I love you both!!!!