Let’s do a little throwback Thursday, all the way back to 2009 when Micah and I first met! The way we met is every youth pastor’s worst fear, at a church youth camp. We were from two different states, we had only known each other for four days at the most, and on top of that, we were only 16 and 17 years old. All the odds were against us, there was no reason for it to work. I look back and think, how was everyone okay with us talking, dating, and getting engaged? Now I know it was all God! We’re still together, still in love, and still enjoying life together! Our story is a bit out of the ordinary, but it worked for us! Let’s go down memory lane: our first few days of knowing each other, what was going through my mind, and my first impressions of Micah.

It was during the second night of camp on July 14, 2009 when my youth group decided to go to Sonic. The camp was at Liberty University in Lynchburg, Virginia and they had a Sonic on campus. When we got to Sonic we noticed we weren’t the only youth group that wanted a Sonic slushie. My youth group was sitting on one side of Sonic, drinking our slushies minding our own business when a guy from the other youth group came over to our table and started talking to my friends and I. It was a strange interaction. He was talking in weird voices asking us random questions, and he took my camera and took a bunch of random photos. He wasn’t at our table long before 3 of his friends came to our table, of one of whom was Micah.

Micah(in black, centered) came over with his friends and his friend with my camera continued to take more pictures!

One of the MANY random photos Micah’s friend took.

My first impressions of Micah: chunky cheeks, loud, crazy, and a cutie pie. Micah came up with 2 of his friends to meet the other friend that was already sitting at our table. The first thing Micah did was grab a hamburger bun that had mayonnaise on it and rub it all over his friend’s face. This was normal for his youth group, they all tried to top each other with pranks and jokes. The whole time we were talking with them they kept joking around like that. It was a little overwhelming. I just remember thinking, “they are crazy!” They got on the back of a pick-up truck as they were leaving and they yelled and chanted as they drove off. We never got their names, they never got our names. To us they were the North Carolina boys and to them we were the Maryland girls.

The moment Micah and his friends drove off in the back of the pick-up truck.

When we saw them throughout the week they would yell “Maryland Girls!” They were the loudest youth group at the whole camp. Everyone knew who they were. So I never thought twice about it if any of them liked me. We would see them during lunch and my friend and I would sit down with them but I never got any vibes from Micah thinking he was interested. I just thought they were a cool, fun group of guys!

This was actually taken on the last day. They(Micah is the one on the far left) just decided that they were going to wrap up there friend in tin foil… They were those kind of guys. So random! Haha!

The last day of camp was on Friday, and my friends and I wanted to say bye and take pictures with them. We took group photos and right when we were about to leave Micah came up to me and asked if he and I could take a picture. Again I didn’t think twice about it and after we took the picture he asked if he could have my number. I was shocked. Sidenote: before camp started, I told myself I wasn’t going to give my number out unless we were friends. I didn’t want to give my number out to a guy I just met. I wanted to be talking to him throughout camp to get an idea if he was a cool guy and not some jerk trying to get as many numbers as possible. So when Micah asked me for my number I felt comfortable to giving it to him. Over all, I thought he was cute, he was a fun guy to be around and he felt safe. Three days after he asked for my number he finally texted me.

A group photo with the North Carolina Guys! I remember Micah saying he wanted to stand by me. AGAIN I didn’t think anything about it. Haha! I was clueless!

Our first picture together! Actually this was the 4th. We kept having to take pictures because the flash wasn’t working?

THE REST IS HISTORY! It was such a weird and random meet that I often wonder how in the world we got to where we are. When we eventually started dating, our families would do trips together. Later we got engaged, got married and started to expand our family. That weird and random meet at Sonic was just the beginning of our story and I believe it set the tone of our whole relationship. What’s really is ironic is that we are now Assistant Directors to a youth summer camp, it’s a full circle moment! I don’t believe in coincidences, I believe everything happens for a reason and God can use everything and anything for good. And meeting Micah on that summer night was very good!