A love story only God could orchestrate…

Both living in Lynchburg for the summer & serving at the same church, Maggie and Jake did not officially meet each other until July of 2021. Jake, originally from Connecticut, regularly served on the greeting team at their church and did not know how drastically his life would change after he heard, “Good morning, y’all” in a cute southern accent on what he expected to be just another regular Sunday morning. Jake was immediately captured by Maggie’s beauty and southern greeting as she walked into the service. Little did Jake know that Maggie had set her sights on him months before this interaction. They began to think about each other often, setting themselves up in the right places at the right times in order to talk to one another. The following week Maggie joked with her close friends about asking Jake to marry her the next time she saw him at church, and Jake so carefully made sure that the next conversation he had with Maggie wouldn’t end.

The next Sunday, Jake was bound and determined to talk to Maggie in hopes of getting to know her better. They ended up talking for a couple of hours after the church service, and this conversation left them both eager to spend more time with one another. Maggie walked away from this conversation knowing that she had to make it obvious to Jake that she was interested so she invited Jake to watch fireworks that night for the fourth of July with her, her brother, & her dad who were in town visiting. Jaked eagerly accepted the invitation which resulted in another conversation that lasted a few hours while there were literally fireworks in the background. It did not take long for Maggie & Jake to see the others heart for the Lord. Both were in awe of the way the other not only loved the Lord, but lived that out in action, speech, word, and deed, leaving them excited and hopeful for what was to come.

The next day, Jake called and asked Maggie out on a date to coffee to which she eagerly accepted. One very intentional date and the two quickly knew that they did not want to spend time apart. It was on this first date that Jake and Maggie discussed many hard conversations in order to cut through the superficial conversation and get directly to the roots of the other person’s heart. God used these conversations to affirm any fears, doubts, or insecurities that may have been present. Jake and Maggie both say that they walked away from this date knowing, “this is it.”

Over the next week, a game of mini golf, an ice cream date, and hours spent together in intentional conversation, Jake and Maggie felt as if they had known each other for years and that God was leading them to step into a committed relationship as they both had complete peace about the other person. It was apparent that the two quickly became best friends as they continued to spend hours together, quickly falling in love.

From the start of their relationship, Maggie and Jake truly sought the Lord’s council and followed the doors that only He could open. Throughout the time they dated, Maggie and Jake sought godly counsel from their close family and friends, who all affirmed their relationship, knowing that it is truly a gift from God. After almost 2 months of dating, Jake asked Maggie to marry her on a quiet overlook in the Blue Ridge Mountains. To know Maggie & Jake is to see and know the love of Jesus. They encompass what it truly looks like to step into a committed relationship, and soon to be marriage, focused on honoring the Lord. Maggie & Jake’s love story is one that only God could orchestrate and their marriage will be no different.