Recently, I met a guy. He is the kind of guy who goes to church every week, leads Bible study one night, and teaches the youth group another night. He is the kind of guy who prioritizes his family and his friends before anything else in his life. We started talking and going on dates, and I wasn’t sure if I was the kind of girl that was right for him. I have never felt as though I had an honest relationship with God. In fact, I was at a point where I wasn’t even sure if I believed in a God. I could feel us growing closer, but how could this relationship work if we were on such different terms about what we believed in?

So, I went to church. At first, I went because it meant something to the guy I was seeing. Then, as the weeks went on, I went to church because it meant something to me.

It was a strange feeling, if I’m being completely honest. For the first time in my life, I genuinely wanted to go to church on Sunday. When I missed a service, I felt as though I was missing a part of me. I wanted to become involved in more. I found myself asking this guy that I liked how I could do more in his church. I felt welcomed by the other members and I felt like I had a relationship.

I don’t just mean that I felt like I had a relationship with that guy. I felt like I found a relationship with God. It became so much more than going to church to become closer to a guy I was seeing. It became going to church to strengthen my newfound relationship with God.

This morning, I found myself watching a live stream of the service because I wasn’t able to physically be there. Like I said, it was very strange. And new. For the first time that I can remember, I felt like God was with me. I know that people say that God is always with you, but if you’re unsure, it is hard to believe. But I was at a point where I felt Him.

When I began my relationship with this guy, I never intended that I would be beginning a relationship with God, as well. As our relationship grows, my relationship with God grows. Our relationship with God grows. And it’s interesting.

We might find ourselves talking about TV shows, arguing about little things that don’t even matter, and telling each other what is happening in our day to day lives. But we also will end up in conversations about God, about our relationship, and about how our relationship is strengthened through our relationship with God. Again, it’s so strange.

But, He works in mysterious ways. So, I am thankful. I am thankful that as I continue to grow in my relationship, I also have the chance to grow in my relationship with God. Without this guy in my life, I am not sure that I would have tried to have a relationship with God.

Clearly, I got way more than I bargained for when I started dating this guy. And I couldn’t be more thankful for what I have found.