Michael and I truly believe we met exactly when we were supposed to.

Before meeting each other, we were both on our own journeys that ultimately led us back to Jesus. Looking back now, it’s clear those separate paths were quietly preparing us for the moment our lives would finally intersect.

After reconnecting with my faith, more than ever, I found myself thinking: I want to be with a Christian man, so I joined a Christian dating app. On the very first day, I matched with Michael and the moment I saw him he immediately stood out.

We wondered how a girl living in Nashville matched with a guy in Iowa. But we both felt something was different, so it didn’t stop us from getting to know each other.

Once we matched, regular conversation soon turned to deep topics, long phone calls, and finally meeting in-person when Michael flew to Nashville. By that point, we already felt like we knew each other so well, the weekend together felt completely natural, and even more special than we expected.

From there, every visit brought a deeper sense of peace and certainty about what we had found in each other. Falling in love felt effortless. My mom has always told me, “It should be easy and fun,” and that’s exactly what our relationship has been.

Very quickly, we learned how closely our values, faith, and hopes for the future aligned. The phrase “when you know, you know” suddenly made complete sense, because that’s exactly how it’s felt.

Just a little over a year from meeting to marriage, and we couldn’t be more grateful for the beautiful way God wrote our story.