Zac and I met on Tuesday, September 19th, 2017. I walked into a little house nervous and uncertain. Entering into a group of young adults gathered for a Bible study wasn’t easy when I scarcely knew anyone there. I mean, I had only been attending this college and career group for a few months, and it was a good-sized group. As it grew, it was necessary to split up into smaller Bible Study classes, and when the split happened I ended up here. Hannah and Rachel would be there, I knew. That was comforting. Still, I was jittery with nerves.

I was warmly welcomed. I took my seat. Placed my purse on the floor beside my chair. Then I looked up. And I saw him.

This man sitting across the room from me. His baseball cap pulled down over his forehead. His quiet, peaceful demeanor obvious. His inward self seemed to sweep over me. It’s unexplainable, really. I don’t know if I believe in “love at first sight”, but I heard the Holy Spirit whisper to me, “you’re going to marry that man.” Never had I heard His voice so clear. I still have yet to experience another word from Him quite like that. As soon as I laid eyes on Zac, I knew. More people arrived and we got started. We played “two truths and a lie” as an icebreaker and Zac’s truths told me that he was both intelligent and a traveler. Even so, I could read the humility and gentleness in his heart.

But that wasn’t the end of the miracle. The Bible study ended, and he stood up… all 6’4” of him. I had always wanted a tall husband; hey, I’d prayed for a tall husband! It was the only superficial trait on my list. I was floored.

We spent the next three months getting to know one another through group settings, some organized by our church’s young adult ministry and some by our friend group.  Our friend, Shea, was the best “wing woman” I could have ever asked for — she might’ve put in a good word for me. Zac drew me in… just by being himself. It wasn’t long before I got to know the man behind the gentle giant. And fell for him. I saw so much of what I had prayed for and dreamt of in him. I tried to let him know I was interested, without being too forward. My main tactic was to swipe the baseball cap off his head and wear it around the church building for the remainder of the evening. Thankfully, he found this endearing.

We were sitting across from each other at a large table of friends after one of our young adult services one Thursday night when he mentioned that he and his best friend were going to the gun range on Saturday afternoon. By way of making conversation, I mentioned that I had never shot a gun. He invited me to come along. The next night (Friday night) was the final Star Wars movie premiere and a group of us had planned to go. At dinner beforehand, I looked at him and said, “So, what time are we going shooting tomorrow?”.

“Oh, you really want to go? Okay, let me ask Nick.”

Apparently he invited people often, but not many took him up on the offer. Not sure what that says about me, but I digress.

We saw the movie. He gave me details for the next day. I spent the night with Hannah and Rachel that night and spent the whole next morning nervous… I wasn’t sure if I was more anxious about spending this time with Zac or about shooting a gun!

He picked me up that morning and we drove to the range. He says it dawned on him as he was on his way to pick me up that this was a date. And if you know Zac personally, well, that’s pretty in line with his personality. 🥰

I don’t remember much about that drive, but I remember that before we even exited his truck, he gave me a safety lesson. He was an intelligent, gentle, firm teacher.

It was funny because we definitely had a third wheel during that date, though thankfully Nick had his own lane… more for his benefit than ours. 😂

Afterwards, we climbed back into his truck and he said, “oh, that’s for you”, motioning towards a cardboard box on the floorboard at my feet. I picked it up and said, “what is it?”

“It’s your Christmas present.”

I opened it… and was delighted. It was one of his baseball caps.

“Now you have one of your own.”

We all went to Panera afterwards, and again, I barely remember what we talked about. But it was easy conversation and I think I was just so happy about my hat that I must have been pretty agreeable company.

A few days later, we had a Christmas party with several of our friends. Zac and I spent hours on the couch swapping stories and sharing photos of our travels and various adventures. I wore the hat he’d given me that evening. The next day, I left for my hometown in the Midwest for Christmas… I was to be gone for two weeks.

We started texting once I left, and we never stopped. A week into my trip, two days after Christmas, over FaceTime, we made our relationship official. I was over the moon. We both were. We could sense God knitting our hearts together. That next week of waiting to be reunited felt like a lifetime! Our first “official” date (without Nick present!) lasted about… nine hours.

The next nine months were a beautiful journey of getting to know one another in deeper ways, learning to love and to risk and to trust. It wasn’t always easy, but it was SO worth it —  so rewarding, so beautiful.

And I guess you could say we just… knew. We knew this was God’s will. We knew that we didn’t want to risk, to live, and to love with anyone else on earth. I had never been more sure of anything in my life.

And so, on September 21, 2018 — just over a year from when we first met,  Zac took me out on a date. He brought me flowers when he picked me up, and then brought me to a local waterfront park. We had supper there, watched a movie, and then went on a walk. He wanted to propose on the walk, but there were a lot of people along the way. He and I have never been “center of attention” kind of people. When we got back to his truck, he opened my door to let me in, I sat down, and instead of closing the door, he said, “well, I hope you enjoyed this date… but I have one more thing.” And he pulled the ring out of his pocket and asked me to marry him. Of course I said yes. It was very sweet and simple, and just perfect.

We’ve been married for over five years now. We’ve welcomed two beautiful children into our family and I love him more now than the day we said “I do.” We have seen one another at our lowest, sickest, and poorest… and the love has only multiplied. I am and forever will be grateful that God saw fit to pair us together. That Zac has chosen to love me, selflessly, every day of our marriage. And that I have the honor of being his wife.

Oh, and P.S. Nick was Zac’s best man. Rachel was my Maid of Honor. And oh, the stories they told on us during our reception!