Jeremy:

The first time I met Taylor was in 2018 while I was at Texas A&M. I was in the student center of St. Mary's Catholic Center talking with one of my friends, Allison, who was also Taylor's roommate at the time. We were sharing our experiences with Prayer Bench, a ministry dedicated to praying for students passing by on Military Walk, which was a walkway between the Memorial Student Center and Sbisa Dining Hall. At one point, Allison mentioned that she got Taylor to join Prayer Bench with her one time and distinctly noted that she had such a heart for the ministry and for prayer. Intrigued, I kept that in mind, hoping I would get a chance to join her for a prayer bench hour. That opportunity came when Natalie, one of my friends and Taylor's prayer bench partner, texted me saying she wouldn't be able to make it and asked if I could sub in for her. So we met, got to know each other, prayed together, and then... did not meet up for the rest of the year!

Taylor:

That's the story of how we officially met. But, let's go back. Pretty far actually- to when I was born. I was baptized April 12th, 1998, by Msr. Ed Randall, of St. Cyril of Alexandria...

Jeremy:

... and I was baptized May 31st, 1998, also at St Cyril's, also by Msr. Ed Randall.

Taylor:

Flash forward to 2002. I'm the flower girl at a family friend's wedding.

Jeremy:

Turns out, I was also at this wedding. But we never met!

Flash forward to 2016, freshman year of college, I'm taking the 9 am Chem 101 class with Dr. Collins...

Taylor:

... and so am I! The exact same class. But we never met!

These little details came out throughout our four years of dating, and each time we found one, it was like God was showing us all the different ways He was tying our story together, from the very beginning.

Jeremy:

So back to the original story in 2018! We didn't see each other after our Prayer Bench hour until we met at the same retreat in the spring of 2019. During the retreat, I was convicted of the need for vulnerability and authentic friendships. I remember seeing Taylor at the retreat and felt the Lord telling me that this is a woman who you will want to know better! So Taylor and I met for lunch a week or two later and formed the beginning of a strong friendship.

Taylor: As providence would have it, this conversation about building an intentional friendship... happened on Valentine's day, of all days, after the 5:30pm daily Mass at St. Mary's! I remember walking back to my car going, "okay, nice! I have clarity on this relationship- we're just going to be friends." Little did I know how much more God had in store for me, or what kind of a beautiful story had just been started.