Jess and I first met at Sharptop Cove, A Young Life camp, in December of 2013. Looking back, it really is wild how much lined up just right for it to happen, and it’s pretty clear to me it was all part of God’s timing for us. I had never been to a Young Life camp and through having Eric Faison, our area’s director for Young Life, as a teacher at Lee-Scott he pushed me and a couple of other guys to think about signing up for it. The problem with that was we had a basketball game scheduled for the Saturday of the Sharptop trip so the likelihood of me being there was slim to none. Now I didn’t entirely know what that weekend might lead to at that point so I wasn’t all that disappointed. Then the craziness of Auburn football’s 2013 season kicked in. Auburn had the miracle at Jordan Hare, and the subsequent kick 6. All of a sudden, they were going to the SEC championship, the same weekend as my basketball game, and Sharptop cove. The coaches of our prospective teams decided to reschedule the game so that players and fans could go to the Auburn game, and with that I could go to Sharptop. I remember seeing Jess the first night we were at Sharptop in the dining hall. I saw an incredibly cute, confident, and most of all joyful girl. I’ll confess that I knew who she was before going to Sharptop, I knew she went to Auburn High, and I knew she was a regular in Young Life circles (social media makes things weird- whatever). So seeing her there, in person for the first time, I was more than a little excited. I also thoroughly remember standing up during dinner, at clubs, and other gatherings trying to make myself seen so she would possibly notice me (smooth moves). On the second day I was really close to her, but being the wimp that I was couldn’t get the nerve up to talk to her, so I just watched as some guy kicked a soccer ball that hit her in the face.

Later my chance to man up and talk to her, after using every excuse to be in her general vicinity all day, came when we were playing basketball. I picked her for my team first of course, not because I was convinced she would help us win, although I have seen her set some fierce screens in rec basketball, but because I thought it would be another good chance to be near her. That’s really where it started: playing basketball, about all I knew how to do at that time. I don’t remember much about the game; all I really remember was being focused on her. Thinking how funny she was, and how she did everything with so much excitement, laughter, and joy. After that I spent all the free time I had that weekend around her, just soaking it up. We laughed, and joked, and talked as easy as I ever have with anyone. As the weekend drew to a close and we headed back on separate buses to Auburn, I remember the whole bus ride back trying to come up with what exactly I would say to her to get her phone number. I built up all sorts of options and the 2-and-a-half-hour bus ride passed me quickly. I got off the bus and saw her, we talked for about a minute, and then I promptly said bye and left, without asking for her number. Now this is a part where I have to admit something I’m not very proud of. Because of my fear of asking for her number I went home dejected trying to think of any situation we might run across each other again. I couldn’t, so in that moment I resorted to the millennial play book and messaged her on twitter. I regret having to have resorted to that and I consider myself really lucky that she was still interested enough to respond. We messaged all night, and I felt like I was off to the races. After about a week of that I asked her on a date to come over and make big cookie, a young life camp dessert, and watch a Christmas movie.

On this first date I had more effortless fun and conversation than I had ever had on a date. I was head over heels. Jess was so cute, and funny, and radiant. I just wondered how long I needed to wait to ask her to officially be my girlfriend. That day came on January 12th, 2014. About 5 years from today. At this point I’ve already written an excessive amount so I’ll skip on details and give the key points. The first months of Jess and I dating were a big learning period for me. I was pretty new in my relationship with God, and Jess taught me a lot. She taught me what it looks like to love Jesus through her joy, her patience with me, and her perseverance through adversity. In this time, I was also deciding where to go to college. I wavered a lot on whether I wanted to pursue options out of Auburn, or go to Auburn University. Jess was patient and gave me space to decide where it was I wanted to be. I chose Auburn for a lot of reasons, but I would be lying if I told you that part of my motivation for sticking around wasn’t Jess. It was early but I already had a good feeling about what we could be. That summer going into college Jess and I’s relationship deepened. We were able to spend full days on end together instead of just evenings after school. I grew to know her much better, and our relationship matured. After 6 months of dating, I told Jess I loved her. I didn’t want to use it lightly but it was the truth. In a short period of time she had become my closest friend, the person that knew me best, showed me Jesus most clearly, and who I wanted to spend my time with. That’s not to say it was all smooth sailing from there. We headed into a tougher season than we had faced when I started school at Auburn University, while Jess still had a year left at Auburn High. Our lives and schedules were different at that point and I walked into a season of feeling aimless, trying to find what I was supposed to do, and who I was supposed to be.

Through it all Jess remained patient, she remained joyful, and she continually pointed me to Jesus as the answer. Even when I was moody or standoffish she loved me so well, even in the midst of her own struggles that year. I’m always thankful for that part of Jess, the loyalty she exudes when I don’t deserve it, the love she shows me regardless of where I am. Freshman year I got plugged into Young Life to be a leader and it has been a big part of my life and continually a big part of Jess and I’s relationship. When Jess chose to attend Auburn University I was definitely relieved. That fall she started was a transition year for her as well. There were some tough times but I think we grew much closer through it. The toughest time for us to now was probably my junior year at Auburn. In the fall I had an identity crisis of sorts. I wondered if my relationship with Jesus was mine, or if it was something I had come to know simply by being around Jess. Again in that Jess showed me patience. When I tried to distance myself, she allowed it, but was there when I wanted to come back near. She showed me grace and patience, as she always has. In the time since then each day I feel like Jess and I’s relationship has grown and matured. I have a deeper understanding of God’s love through being allowed to love Jess. She has shown me grace when I don’t deserve it, and shown me joy that can only come from one place.

Fast forward to just a few weeks ago on December 13th. I asked Jess to be my wife, and as she always has, she wore her joy and emotion on her sleeve for everyone to see. She smiled a deep and beautiful smile that I think reflects God’s love for us. Her joy always exhibits that and it was so apparent on December 13th. Jess loves me so well, she shows me Jesus so consistently, and I can’t wait to spend the rest of my life with her. In 5 years I feel like we’ve already walked through a lot of life together, but I know there’s so much more to experience. Whatever it may be I know Jess will continue to show me her patience, joy, and love for Jesus.

The first time I ever heard of Thomas Hardin was in August of 2012, when a friend of mine retweeted one of his tweets. The tweet was about Jesus and it really stuck out to me. I also noticed he was super cute from his profile picture. I was sold. From then on, as silly as it sounds,I had an enormous crush on him. I followed him on all other social media and thought he was so cute and funny. We went to different high schools in the same town but I would always look for him at events we would both most likely attend, like worship nights or FCA events. When he would like my instagrams I would tell my friends “If that’s not a marriage proposal I don’t know what is.” I was in love. So when I saw him stand up in 2013 at Sharptop at dinner I quickly grabbed my friend's arm and said “Oh my gosh is that Thomas Hardin? That’s Thomas Hardin!” I kept an eye on him for the whole weekend, always looking for a chance to be near him or somehow end up in a conversation with him. So when a kid from his high school kicked a soccer ball in my face I made sure to go up to their group and joke about it, but I didn’t think Thomas was paying attention. The next time I remember being near him was when we were playing this game where you blow a ping pong ball around the table until it rolls off on your edge. I remember purposefully getting out after he got out so that we could stand in line together and even remember him saying he wasn’t going to play anymore but quickly jumped back in line when I was at the end. However we were both too shy to actually say anything to each other. Then everyone went to go play basketball in the gym, and to my complete surprise and swoon he picked me first for his team. At one point he even called me a superstar and I think I actually melted. After that we spent a lot of time together that weekend, and I was so smitten. I remember jumping up and down screaming with my friends in our cabin because we were so excited. He was so charming and funny and kind.

I found every excuse to talk to him that weekend and when we got back on the bus to go home I spent the entire time thinking of an excuse to go up to him in hopes he would ask me for my number. However, he didn’t ask me for my number and I got back in my car so sad because I thought I would never see him ever again. But to my excitement that night he messaged me on twitter and asked for my number. We texted the whole night, and even though I had an AP essay due the next day he was all I could focus on. I remember anxiously waiting for him to ask me to hang out with him again, and finally we went on our first date. It was a few days before Christmas so we made big cookie and watched a Christmas movie. I remember that night so clearly now, 5 years later. I had butterflies in my stomach the whole night and laughed so hard I cried. I went home that night beaming, so enamored with the boy I met at Young Life camp. Over the years, Thomas has taught me so much; he has taught me how to be kinder and gentler, he has taught me to go with the flow, and how to put other people first. He is the first person I go to if I need a laugh and the first to gently remind me how Jesus would react in my circumstances; always with love and always with compassion. There are so many things I adore about Thomas, but just to name a few: his dedication to the things and people he loves and his contagious energy and joy. That’s why on December 13th, when he asked me to marry him at the place he first told me he loved me, I held back tears and didn’t stop smiling for the rest of the day. It is so fun to look back and see the way God has intertwined our stories together and I cannot wait to see where He takes us next.