Sometimes it takes God bringing a little chaos into our lives to put us on a new and better path. Emily and Andrew were content on their separate paths. Emily working as a pediatric occupational therapist and Andrew working from home in account management for a software company. Although their paths were separate, they were surprisingly close: they both attended church at Mitchell Road PCA and shared some mutual friends. They even attended the same wedding, but separately, vaguely aware that the other existed. Close but not quite close enough. What came next seems like a paradox. What it took to bring them together was a once in a generation series of one “unprecedented” event after another that would famously drive people apart, specifically exactly 6 feet apart. Amidst the backdrop of less of a romantic comedy and more of a dystopian sci-fi movie began their love. Nothing says Hallmark movie like acne from wearing a mask too long and hands cracked from hand sanitizer. But unparalleled times create new rhythms. Many activities such as church moved outside. Life slowed down and new paths formed. More specifically new running paths formed. Covid changed many things but not the need for exercise or the need for breakfast food. Two things Emily and Andrew enjoy greatly. A new group of friends from various walks of life formed around these two activities. Andrew and Emily’s close but separate paths were now intersecting on the Swamp Rabbit Trail and for breakfast at Tandem. So Andrew obviously directly asked Emily out, right? If only life was so tidy. Continuing to buck rom-com tropes the story has a number of cut-for -time twists and turns: distracting love interests who hopefully have their own wedding websites now, poorly timed asks for dates, etc etc. But as the masks were lowered and those little social distancing stickers on the floors of grocery stores began to fade, the stars finally aligned and Andrew and Emily went on their first date. Cut to a montage scene of enjoying concerts, crossing race finish lines together, watching World Cup games, swimming, hiking, eating Lewis BBQ, taking in broadway shows, and just generally being an adorable couple. So does this rom-com sci-fi movie end more You’ve Got Mail or Transformers? Well the answer is a little of both. Andrew had a lovely sunrise proposal planned but illness once again reared its head trying to bring Emily down with a terrible sinus infection. But Emily like the lovely, persevering heroine she is took the life saving antidote (i.e. antibiotics) and pushed through. Then came the hilarious hijinks of nearly running out of gas half way up the mountain, making it up the mountain but then almost accidentally running over the photographer in the parking lot, and hustling up a hill so as not to miss the sunrise. Tears, laughs it had it all (most importantly Emily said yes). We’re thankful that God brought our paths together and made a story better than any script.

Andrew is such a gifted writer and has an incredible gift for seeing the big picture so clearly, while I’m usually lost deep in the detail weeds. But for those of you who like some details, I’ve got you covered. The rosy picture has Andrew and I developing a friendship while Covid flipped the world upside down. After starting to hang out in the same small group of friends, Andrew, ever the investigator, asked an old coworker who was also a friend of mine, about me, and that got back to me immediately. Apparently our shared love of running, breakfast food, and my infamous carrot cake had caused him to notice me. So while I artfully dodged any advances, not sure of my feelings, Andrew artfully bided his time and we became friends. Fast forward a year later, I’m leaving a date with another person after identifying that that relationship lacked friendship and wasn’t going to work out. As I drove home, Andrew popped into my mind, and I remember thinking, “He’s genuinely my friend.” It had been a little bit since I’d seen Andrew though, so a few weeks later I texted him to let him know I had a baking fiasco story for him the next time I saw him, since I knew how much he enjoyed my overly-detailed sagas about my baking blunders. Our next interaction consisted of me telling him about my double butter cookies, a group movie, and me jumping up out of my seat at the end of the movie exclaiming “I’m going to explode!” jumping over Andrew and power waddling to the bathroom as fast as I could. That same night a friend was commenting on how much I could eat at dinner and asked, “Does it even come out?” to which I assured her that indeed my GI tract does work, thanks for asking…? This is the stuff romance is made of. Despite learning too much about my bodily functions, a few weeks later he asked me on our first date. When planning our date, he first asked about going zip lining, because, as he told me, “I might only get one shot, so it should be fun.” -Glad I seem approachable enough to grant you a second date.- So then I promptly made him scramble on the phone by sharing that I’m quite scared of heights so that plan might actually make this his only shot. We enjoyed dinner, a concert, and lively conversation on our first date, and no height-induced panic. But that’s where the rosy picture ends, because after our first date, my life started to implode with overwhelming work difficulties, strained relationships, changing living situations, etc. And Andrew waited as I tried to piece it back together, and then walked with me through it as we started dating despite the mess. I honestly don’t know what made him stay, but that’s the man I fell in love with. I love the light and funny twists of our relationship. They are so sweet. But the truth is I fell in love with a man who has stood by me through some significant ups and downs, who has been so loving, supportive, and patient, and who has reflected Jesus to me over and over again.