It Was Always You

Katie: When I first met Mark, he was a goofy bandana-wearing high school kid. Being together was easy. We would stay up late chatting on AIM about life and making dumb inside jokes. Looking back it’s easy to see that I loved him. My first clue should have been that he was my chosen park-walking companion on beautiful days, and the first one I'd call when life took difficult turns. He always felt so grounding to me. Nevertheless, I friend-zoned him HARD. It wasn’t until 2016 that I began to wonder: could it be? Around that time, I began listening to “It was Always You” by Maroon 5, lyrics proving more true than I could have imagined: “Hazel eyes, I was all color blind, we were just wasting time. My whole life we never crossed the line, only friends in my mind, but now I realize: it was always you.” Mark: Katie easily caught my eye from the beginning, and I immediately attempted to win and woo her--a campaign that lasted longer than the US occupation of Iraq. She had long, dark hair, played the piano and was intentional about learning who her heavenly father was. Over the years, I'd go through seasons of dating other girls and pursing other interests, but every time we'd run into each other, the interest and desire would catch again. Then, I'd only find peace after telling her "I love you" and hearing her say "no thanks" once again. This happened a few times over the years, from 2005 to 2015. Finally, in 2019, God said to have faith for it (Romans 4:16-25), and here we are.