Ben and Maria first crossed paths on May 30th, 2024, at Liberation Church during a Nightstrike outreach — their very first gathering with a new community group they had each recently joined through church. Their eyes met… and sparks did not fly. Maria thought, “Nah,” and in Ben’s mind, it was a “probably not.” Not exactly love at first sight — but God, in His perfect timing and sense of humor, clearly had other plans (and let’s be honest, Maria says “no” to most new things at least once anyway). Over the next few months, they got to know each other slowly and quietly — sharing “peaches and pits” (the highs and lows of their week) around the table with their community group. No pressure, no expectations, just real-life conversations about faith, life, and everything in between. Then one day, Ben’s front passenger wheel literally fell off his 2008-ish Subaru Impreza! Carless the following week, he still made his way to Nightstrike and needed a ride home. Someone else in the group (shoutout to Evan Peterson!) asked Maria to give both of them a lift. That unexpected car ride ended with an hour-long conversation in Ben’s driveway about Jesus. The next week, it happened again. Another ride, another long conversation. Eventually, Ben got a new vehicle and offered to consistently drive Maria to and from group. A pattern formed: carpool to community group, casual interactions during the event, and then deep, hour-long conversations about the wonders and love of God on the ride home. This rhythm continued for months, until early January 2025 when Ben asked Maria to grab coffee outside of community group. She said yes. That coffee date turned into five hours of talking, laughing, and realizing they had far more in common than they’d expected. They were both cautious, wanting to follow God’s lead rather than their own emotions. But then Ben mentioned the date of his salvation — October 1st, 2023. Maria paused. She had rededicated her life to Jesus and was publicly rebaptized the day before, on September 30th, 2023. A shared foundation was being revealed — in faith, in timing, and in heart posture. As the months passed, their bond deepened. They discovered their shared love for God, family, community, and the outdoors. And after much prayer, wise counsel, and lots (and lots) of conversation, Ben asked Maria to marry him — exactly one year from the day they met. It wasn’t love at first sight. It was something better: a gradual, steady unfolding of something intentional, unexpected, and spirit led.