Marcie…

was in her early thirties when she visited a singles small group from church. It wasn’t a great fit for her, since the group members were all at least a decade older than her.  All except one, that is.

Brian.

He was visiting that night, too.

Neither Marcie nor Brian returned to the group. But Brian kept looking for her.

It’s a big church, so after six weeks of not even catching a glimpse of her, Brian devised a plan. He cast the net wide, hoping, praying to find Marcie again. After asking the church for the email addresses of the 100+ singles in attendance, Brian sent a note out saying, “I’m going canoeing on 4th of July if anyone wants to come.”

Marcie was one of

several women who wrote back. She couldn’t come because she had long standing plans. But then, she mentioned, “I’m not sure if you remember me. We met at that small group…”

Remember her?! He wrote back and said, Yes!  He had been trying to find her for 2 months! And would she like to have coffee sometime?

The rest, of course, is history.

Ingrid…

was in her mid thirties and single. Ingrid has a more reserved personality, and she knows this about herself. So when her aunt asked to set her up on a blind date, she said yes. She figured that she probably wouldn’t meet someone on her own–especially since forward aggressiveness seems to be the way to snag a husband these days.

Ingrid was thankful that her aunt had been thinking of her.

Turns out, Bruce became quite thankful too.

Bruce had resigned himself to singleness years ago. He had been quietly working in his career and serving in his church as a deacon for many years. When he met Ingrid, it didn’t take long for romance to spark into flame. They were married less than a year later.

Statistically, Bruce is a rare find. A single man, who is faithfully, quietly serving God? And a single man who was strong, tall, and handsome? Seems like too much to hope for, but God kept him tucked away in a little church, waiting for Ingrid to dance into his arms.

Many people, in their 30’s, think, “It’s all up to me to find someone.” But I love how these stories showcase God’s hidden hand drawing two singles, who were faithfully following Him as individuals, into a lifelong commitment to each other. I love how God providentially weaves seemingly insignificant details of one life into another.

God…

…must be very wise, and very caring, to use even threads like these–two random visitors at a small group, and a caring aunt, thinking of her niece–to help us find each other and tie the knot.

What threads did God use, to help tug you toward the right one? How did His hidden hand prompt the tying of the knot in your story?