Hilary & Joe were engaged in October 2017. A few weeks later, she shared this beautiful story with us. Christian Mingle is so pleased to have been a part of this love story, and we wish Hilary and Joe every happiness!
I recently got engaged last week to a man I met on your site! I wanted to share with you our story. This is the exact post I shared on my Facebook page this past Sunday night. Feel free to use our story and pictures however you see fit. Thank you for being the tool God used to connect Joe and I. 💜
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He had me at Holy Spirit, Keto, Seminary and Car Flipping. (warning: extremely long post)
Not long ago, I was really struggling with my singleness. I was inching closer to my 38th birthday with an intense desire for a godly mate. Yes, I believed whole heartedly that God’s timing was perfect regarding this desire and that He had my best interest at heart, however, my unmet desire left me feeling forgotten by God. I remember crying on the phone with my Mom one day in May, telling her that I was feeling as though God had forgotten about me. As if He forgot to create a spouse for me. As if He made a huge mistake. As if He truly didn’t care about my desire. I started begging God to take this desire away and replace it with a different one. I didn’t care what it was, I just didn’t want to feel the pain of “singleness” anymore.
On May 30th of this year, I reached out to 16 Christ-centered women who were in thriving godly marriages and asked if they would partner with me in prayer over the next 7 days regarding my desire for a godly husband. To my surprise, these women not only agreed (joyfully) to pray for me but also sent me encouraging messages telling me they were continuing to pray for me long after the 7 days were up. This warmed my heart so much and showed me (yet again) how rich and important the body of Christ is. Bottom line, we NEED each other.
The end of June came and I felt a nudge from the Holy Spirit to get on a dating site called “Christian Mingle”
The end of June came and I felt a nudge from the Holy Spirit to get on a dating site called “Christian Mingle”. I knew of quite a few couples who met and married through online dating platforms (including my older brother and his wife) so I thought, why not. What could it hurt. I became an active member on the dating site then August 3rd happened.
Many of you read my Facebook post regarding my former wedding dress that had sold on Poshmark on a random Thursday in early August (August 3rd to be exact). If you remember reading that post, you might remember me questioning God about His timing behind the sale of that dress. Little did I know back then that God would make things very clear to me just 6 weeks later. Yes, that answer I wanted came!
When I returned home from my annual Vail trip with my nanny family in late August, I received a message from a Michigan man on that dating site. I read the message then clicked on his profile to see what he was all about. While his profile was incredibly thorough and intriguing, I thought to myself, “this man is too good to be true”. Then I immediately thought of the famous saying… “if it looks too good to be true, it probably is”. So what did I do? I started to pray. I prayed for massive amounts of wisdom, discernment and peace. Then I reached out to those 16 women again and asked them to pray too. I needed my tribe!
Over those next few days, Joe (Michigan man) and I messaged back and forth numerous times. Each message contained new information and exciting revelation that could only come from God. My heart started opening up to this man… something my heart doesn’t do easily.
My heart started opening up to this man… something my heart doesn’t do easily.
Over the course of 8 weeks we have spent countless hours on the phone discussing just about every topic under the sun. I knew this man was something special when I was finding myself not wanting to get off the phone with him (I pretty much hate talking on the phone so this was huge for me). We invited our parents and families to get involved in our courtship and that has proven to be absolutely beautiful and re-confirming. Knowing our families were praying for us and assisting us in this non-conventional process has been one of the biggest blessings we have received. We are so grateful for the roles they have played thus far.
God has been incredibly faithful and good to Joe and I. He knew what we each needed as individuals and together as a couple. God knew how special twin boys were to me and blessed me with a twin for a future husband. Yes, Joe is a twin and you better believe that when I learned this, my heart felt all sorts of gushy, warm, sweet feelings. It’s crazy how God knows what will make us melt. Something else God knew I needed in a future mate was an empathetic and compassionate heart. While I have faced a lot of loss in my past, God knew I needed someone that also walked a similar road. Unfortunately, Joe’s twin brother was murdered at the age of 22, leaving Joe with a massive hole in his heart. He lost his best friend, his other half, his blood. When I learned of this tragedy, I could not help but think of the pain I suffered when my brother died not long ago. I could relate to Joe’s pain and as a result, we grew closer. Again, God was showing us both His plan for our lives through painful life experiences we could thoroughly relate to.
They prayed that if it was God’s will for Joe to re-marry, that God would lead him to his future wife.
In getting to know Joe and asking what made him get on Christian Mingle the end of August, his answer was extremely direct and intentional. He said he felt ready for a godly wife and that God was leading him toward that life. He didn’t know how it was going to happen so he asked for prayer one Thursday night at his weekly Bible study. That night just so happened to be August 3rd… the day my wedding dress sold. The people in his Bible study prayed over his future and his desire for a godly wife. They prayed that if it was God’s will for Joe to re-marry, that God would lead him to his future wife. At the end of Bible study that night, his pastor (who also happens to be one of his closest friends) mentioned to Him a dating site called “Christian Mingle” and thought Joe should possibly give it a try. He said he would think and pray about that idea, and he did. Three weeks later he created a profile, found me the very first day, and the rest is history.
I share all this as a pure testimony of God’s work behind the scenes. Little did I know the significance of August 3rd and how God was working mightily that day. When Joe and I discovered what God had done for us on that specific day we couldn’t help but cry tears of amazement and joy. God continued to confirm his plan for us as a couple and gave us a peace no one could understand.
There are so many blessings I get with Joe. For starters, Joe let’s me be ME. Joe loves the fact that I started a fashion flipping business this past March as he shares that same passion/hobby as a car flipper. It’s amazing that God would bless us with a partner that not only supports our passions but engages in them as well. I also learned early on that Joe was into health and fitness and engaged in the ketogenic lifestyle I had been living the past year. This was something that was extremely important to me and something I wanted in a future mate. God delivered, yet again, with Joe.
It’s amazing that God would bless us with a partner that not only supports our passions but engages in them as well
But, I’d have to say, the most beautiful blessing I get with Joe is the blessing of knowing that the man I will marry strives to bring glory to God on a daily basis. He pushes me closer to Christ in ways I never thought humanly possible. His heart to attend seminary and the desire to lead others to Christ is by far the most attractive thing about him. We have dreams of going into ministry together and know that God will lead us down that path in His perfect timing.
Three days ago, I was able to meet Joe, in person, for the very first time. It was exactly 8 weeks from the day he first messaged me to the time we physically laid eyes on each other at the Austin airport. That very next afternoon, on October 20th, he got down on one knee and proposed to me in his hotel lobby. The “Yes” I gave to him at that moment was the most peace-filled and joy-filled “Yes” I had ever spoken. Knowing and believing that Gods hand created this beautiful union allowed me to give Joe my entire heart with complete ease and delight. Joe is truly my dream come true and my answered prayer.
In just two months time, I will pack up my little Austin studio and move to Michigan to start a new life chapter. And in exactly 65 days from today, I will become Joe’s wife, his number 1 cheerleader and his godly helper.
Looking back, I thank God for His glorious sovereignty, the dating relationships he allowed to end, and the strength He gave when my hope was running dry.
If you are single today and desire a godly mate, please know and believe me when I say that God KNOWS WHAT HE IS DOING. We have a very small ability in comprehending the majestic ways He is working behind the scenes. Stay patient and stay in constant communication with Him. He knows your hearts desires and he knows your every pain. He might make you wait for His best but His best is worth the wait.
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Did you find love online? Inspire other Christian singles by sharing your story of how you met your soulmate on Christian Mingle.
