How We Met

Jeremy, an entrepreneur in IL and Sarah, an artist/graphic designer in SC, longed to do life with someone. After a good many years of this desire being unfulfilled, they both had reached a point of discouragement. In the summer of 2015, Jeremy, in IL, and Sarah, in SC, both prayed and asked God for help. They had each gone through a bumpy road of hopes dashed and sent a desperate plea to God to either remove this desire or fulfill it. 

Jeremy had not used his online dating profile in about 5 years. Sarah had been on and off various dating sites for a year or so without any success. They both decided that they would not put God in a box. If He chose to use the tool of an online dating site, then He had the power to do so. 

On August 16, 2015, Jeremy was randomly swiping through profiles and came across Sarah's picture. Something about her smile caught his eye and he sent her a message. She received his message and checked out his profile. Although he was wearing sunglasses in most of his pictures (strike 1 in her book) and had barely filled out anything on his profile (strike 2), an interesting fact caught her eye. He had read the book Trusting God Even When Life Hurts, by Jerry Bridges. She had also read this book and appreciated the help it had been in her life. She responded to his message thinking perhaps here was someone who at least shared her faith in God. 

They spent a week messaging back and forth using the automated question system. Then came time for Jeremy to send a real email. Sarah thought he would perhaps bail at this point, but after a few long days of waiting, she had his first email in her inbox. His email caught her off guard. His intentional, careful, and kind approach was a breath of fresh air for her. They spent a month emailing back and forth. They both decided they weren't in to "fluff" and wanted to find out the important stuff before getting too attached. So they asked question after question of each other. Sarah often thought the next email would have something in it that she couldn't "live with", but there never was. 

In September, they had their first conversation on the phone. It lasted four hours. The instant connection was obvious and their conversations over the next month went from once a week to twice a week to multiple times a week. By October of 2015, they both decided it was time to meet before anymore emotional attachment took place. Jeremy flew down to spend a weekend in Greenville, SC. They met at Panera for coffee. The first 10 minutes or so were awkward, but then it clicked and they both realized that what worked over email and on the phone was the same in person. 

Over the next couple of months, they went back and forth visiting each other. Each visit, God worked in both their hearts. He answered specific prayers and continually brought them closer to each other. By December, He had given Jeremy a love for Sarah that he never expected. And in January, 2017, Sarah realized that her love for Jeremy was just as strong. 

In February, Jeremy proposed on the beach at sunset. Neither of them could have asked for a more perfect setting or a more perfect plan. And on May 28, 2016, they both vowed before God to spend their lives together serving Him as one. Only God could have brought them together. Only God deserves all the glory.