Dear You,

I first want to say that I love you, and I've been praying for you. I've prayed for you almost every day since I was 16. Because that was the time I began to see my friends enter seriously real relationships. And I decided that I could analyze their relationships, or I could pray and prepare myself for my own. I decided I could be jealous that they had found someone, or I could pray for my future someone. So I prayed.

I prayed for you. I prayed that you would follow God's plan for you and your life. I prayed that you would not just attend church, read your Bible, and be an active participant in Youth Group, but that you would develop a hunger for God's word and you would bring it from your head to your heart and then let it shine out into your life. I prayed that you would be preparing your heart and not give into temptation or desire. I prayed that you would be preparing yourself for me, for us.

I prepared myself. I began to dive deeper into my relationship with God. I identified my strengths in order to enhance then. I identified my weakness in order to work on them. I prayed that I wouldn't give into temptation or desire. I prayed that I would fulfill God's plan in my life and live my life for Him. I prayed that I would shine His light.

I prayed for us. I prayed that our relationship would be built on Christ. I prayed that we would acknowledge each other's strengths and help to grow them. I prayed we would accept each other's weaknesses and help work on them. I prayed that you would be ready to accept your role in my life, and mine in yours. I prayed that our relationship would be a friendship first. Because relationships are more than just cute Instagram photos, "I miss you" texts, and "I love you" phone calls. They are meant to enhance and strengthen. We are meant to enhance and strengthen. We should be able to have deep conversations and challenging talks. I prayed that others would see Christ in our relationship. I prayed that we would pursue Christ together.

I am beyond happy that you love me, even though it may have taken a long time to get there. Because I can be hard to get to know and even harder to love. But the fact that you love me means that you have taken the time and energy. Which means you also love me for who I am. And you fell for me. Not just for my eyes or my smile, but for my personality and soul. You fell for my nerdy quirks and loud shyness. You fell for my bluish-green eyes and crooked smile. You fell for my passionate soul and wondering mind. And I fell for you. And I fell hard. And I didn't just fall for your enchanting eyes and perfect smile, although those were easy to fall for. I fell for your beautiful soul. The way you laugh. Your passions. Your intelligence. Your kind heart. You.

You've put up with me and my crazy self. You know that my idea of the best dates are the ones to amusement parks, bookstores, and museums. You watch football with me and listen to me talk about Chemistry, Literature, French or whatever. You laugh along with me when I rant about silly things like cookies and cream Oreos. You've chosen to get to know me, to spend time with me, and to love me. You have been a support for me. You've made me laugh, and cry, and everything in between. You've made me question and wonder. You've made my amazing life even better. You're my best friend, and I love you. And I can't wait to see what God has planned for the rest of our lives.