It is not an overstatement to say that the Lord brought us together, of course, He brings all people together but I believe He certainly has been guiding us toward each other for many years. But more than that, God has placed people in our lives who have encouraged us to pursue the Lord, and He has led each of us through trials and circumstances that have uniquely prepared us for life together. In a more literal sense, the Lord guided us to Camp Longridge in the summer of 2018--a place both of us had been many different times throughout our youth, though our paths had never crossed. We had the privilege of serving together for two summers and fostering great friendships with the entire staff. Mariah grew to be one of my close friends as we faced the blazing summer heat, long hours of physical exertion and responsibility for fifteen-plus children a week. Each summer these unique stresses brought out the core values of the people we worked alongside. From Mariah, I saw a true heart of service, a nurturing disposition, an incredible conviction in her faith, and a great deal of moral fiber. At the time I was in a relationship, but Mariah and I remained close friends for our time at Camp Longridge and I couldn’t help but take notice of her godly character.

After the end of our second summer, once circumstance afforded the opportunity, we began to pursue a relationship with each other. From the onset we knew that such a relationship wouldn’t be easy. We had to overcome the long distance of 184.5 miles separating us and balance each of our academic schedules. But when the Lord places such a remarkable woman of God in your life, how can you not but chase after her. Since then, we have been running toward each other, pursuing the other as we pursue the Lord. It was not always a smooth road, but we walked it together and by the grace of God, long drives from Clemson to Statesboro, and many hours on Skype, we were able to have intentional time and grow together. After several months of prayer, time in the scripture, self-reflection and an ever-growing appreciation for Mariah’s godly character and gentle, loving spirit I came to the conclusion that she was the one I wanted to run the race with. Lord willing, we will have many more years to continue to pursue each, raise up a godly family together, and endure the trials of this life as we pursue Christ the author and perfecter of our faith.

When we met that summer Jarrod was in a relationship and I had been patiently waiting for the man that God would call me to date. We were just co-workers and close friends, but I found myself drawn to Jarrod’s love for the Lord and the way he served so wholeheartedly. I developed an itty-bitty crush on him, but truly thought that we would just stay friends. I began to pray that God would take my feelings for Jarrod away if I wasn’t meant to have them, mostly because the central goal at camp is to share the gospel with campers, and I didn’t want to become distracted. I also didn’t want those feelings to ruin my friendship with him—which I valued over any potential relationship we might have. This went on for two summers of working together and I continued to get to know his character in a more intentional way – how he led his campers, that certain menial tasks were more fun when I could do them with him, and most importantly that magnifying Christ was at the forefront of every aspect of his life. After that second summer, Jarrod’s relationship status changed, but I still wanted to be his friend above all else. One day we met up with some other friends from camp and before we left, he asked me what I thought about pursuing a relationship, but the way he phrased it I thought I was about to be friendzoned so hard. I nearly passed out in that Chick-fil-A in Augusta, GA. Once I had recovered from the shock, we began to grapple with the fact that any relationship we could have would be long distance, so because of that and other circumstances we decided to take things slowly for the first few months.

We Skyped every single night that semester and the friendship that we started as co-workers served as a strong foundation for us to build on. I got to know the ways that we were compatible, as well as ways we could grow together. After a year of more Skype calls, weekend visits and many Chick-fil-A runs, he asked me to marry him in front of a black walnut tree in the woods behind my parents’ house on my birthday (with my dad conspicuously taking pictures). Jarrod is still my best friend above all else, but now instead of praying that God would take away my feelings for him, I get to pray that He would use our relationship & future marriage to glorify Him. It was a long road from the friendzone to the endzone, but I believe that the Lord was lighting our path the entire way and for that, I am eternally grateful.