It was a dreary and gray day in October, smack-dab in the middle of midterms at Geneva College. For Maria, it was a very out-of-the-ordinary day: She had gone over her professor’s house totally unannounced and braided his daughters’ hair for National Braid Day, had her first oral exam for the same professor, and in between that, met her future husband. For James, it was a typically day in the life of a guy: Get up 15 minutes before class, roll out of bed, comb hair, don’t eat breakfast and go to class…and also meet his future wife (totally normal). Maria was wearing brown pants and a tan turtleneck with a checkered brown and tan scarf to match the fall vibes October was giving. James was in his signature black and orange checkered coat and jeans. Just two normal people, totally oblivious to how God’s hand was about to move. At 11:30 that morning, Maria went to lunch with her friend Esther, who is a world-class matchmaker and takes credit for bringing Maria and James together. If you ever need to find a spouse, Esther is your girl….even though she hasn’t found one herself. Anyhow, they were sitting at a table deep in food and conversation when a figure suddenly hovered over them, tall and thin, blonde hair, blue eyes, and a towering presence. Esther knew who it was (she knew practically everyone on campus) and invited him to sit with them. Now, Maria was in her I’m-not-dating-till-I’m-30 phase and didn’t take much notice of the handsome fellow in front of her. Even after Esther conveniently left 5 minutes later and they proceeded to have a great 45 minute conversation, she was still oblivious to the awesomeness of James. It was a wonderful conversation. James and Maria connected on several different topics and seemed to get along really well. Then…they left. At this point, you’re probably asking, “what happened next?” Well….NOTHING HAPPENED. James proceeded to avoid Maria for the next six months, refusing to admit to the strange effect such beauty was having on him. Maria, on the other hand, after some pressing from Esther, found herself intrigued by James and for some reason, began to break her I’m-not-dating-till-I’m-30 rule. But James would not bend. In the next six months, they did not hold even ONE conversation beyond acknowledging each other’s presence. Christmas came and went. The next semester started and after a couple months, Maria began to give up. She had even heard from Esther that James had said that they didn’t have any chemistry and started to believe it. Back to the I’m-not-dating-till-I’m-30 rule. In a strange turn of events however, James did something unexpected. He TALKED to Maria. He actually held a conversation with her for the first time since the last October. Shocker. But, you can guess that he probably realized just how pretty she was and that letting such a woman go was a terrible decision. So, that following April, on the last Sunday of the month, Maria and James went on their first date. It really wasn’t anything fancy. They ate chicken wings on a park bench after having played a game of dek hockey with friends. And the rest is kind of history. Through the ups and downs of the following two years, James and Maria developed their romance through their love of books, movies, and outdoor adventures, surprising each other with dates, gifts, and little notes or letters hidden in books in the library. They supported each other through the hellfire of college (a true test of a relationship) and can’t wait to continue their romance for the rest of their lives. Thank you to everyone who will be celebrating with them!