Our story began in March of 2020 with me (Sydney) reading a message I received from a boy that I was soon to go to college with who responded to one of my posts on Instagram. Despite not being very attracted to each other at first, we sent message after message, simultaneously just trying to be nice to a future peer but also wondering if there could be something much more. I instantly was intrigued by this boy because he was more intentional about getting to know all about me than anyone I’ve ever met. He always put me first in every conversation and I couldn’t help but want to get to know him more and more. We soon exchanged numbers and called each other on FaceTime in April. After realizing the other is actually really cute, and having the most incredible conversation about God, family, values, and our future goals, we both felt a connection that was too easy and exciting to be ignored. After we hung up, we both said “woah” out loud and prayed for whatever God’s will was for us, not realizing the crazy, difficult, but most beautiful journey he was about to take us on. We continued that summer texting and calling almost every day. After coming on campus for our freshmen year of college, what happened between us is not what I had in mind… we dated for a week only to break up because of not being spiritually and emotionally ready to commit to an intentional relationship that we both desired. However, we remained friends… REALLY good friends. I even remember him confessing to me a few times that I was his closest friend. During this “friendship,” the flirting never stopped. We hung out almost every day at school. Needless to say, we always wanted to be together and I liked him a lot… actually, it was more like I loved him a lot. Sadly, even though we never stopped liking each other, we still were not ready.

Come February of 2021, my heart broke as I told Matthew during one of our late night Taco Bell runs that I don’t think I’d be able to continue in this “friendship” if this is all it will ever be. I went on to tell him all the beautiful things that I saw in him, and that, because of how much I loved him, hanging out with him just as “friends” felt like torture and that it began to take my spiritual and emotional life captive. I remember him being very sad but also very understanding. Three days later he called me while I was doing homework in the library saying he really needs to talk to me and that it’s urgent. So, we got Taco Bell once again and he poured his sleepless heart out to me saying that the Holy Spirit has overwhelmed him every moment of the last three days and has spent most of his time in prayer and seeking guidance from God’s Word and others. He continued with, “God has told me that I have everything I could ever want and more (in a wife) right in front of me and that I would be the biggest idiot to let you walk away.” Being completely shocked, I remember walking back from his car that night praising God for teaching me to give up control, speaking His word into Matthew, and bringing us together on His terms instead of our own. Two weeks later, we made it official and from that moment on we were fully committed and knew we wanted to live this life for God together. Through going three months long distance and battling through my dad having cancer, Matthew never stopped pursuing me and loving me sacrificially. His passions have become my passions and so have my passions become his. We are still each other’s best friend and, now, the one whom our souls desire. We see our soon-to-be marriage purposed firstly and primarily for God and His glory alone. We are excited to keep growing, learning, and loving each other in whatever journey God has for us next. The Lord has been more than gracious to us in giving us each other.