Your Story Is Worth Telling

Talking about relationships is a hairy task, and when I say hairy, I don’t mean that it entails a surplus of follicles and whatnot, rather, it can be a very sensitive and difficult topic to discuss.

Because relationships are ever present around us, scaling the walls of our social media feeds, staring us down in the movies or tv screens, or walking right in front of us at the grocery store – playing the comparison game is tempting.

I know it’s been said countless times before, but what you see online via pictures or videos is only but a glimpse of reality. In honesty, those “perfect-looking” couples still struggle with real life issues – having their bad days, disagreements, mood-swings, tears, hurt feelings, frustration, etc. You get it. So when you see a picture of two people in love, smiling big-toothed grins at the camera, just know that their stories aren’t perfect either.

Because relationships are unique and beautiful, hence making them virtually impossible to compare to others, I want to encourage you to look beyond the screen.

I have recently realized that I’ve fallen into this trap, the lame comparison game, of looking at other peoples’ lives and wishing this or that, seeing where I fall short and where they excel. We all do it, whether we admit to it or not, and it’s a hard pit to crawl out of. It’s exhausting, harmful, and ultimately a destroyer of gratitude.

All this to say, I know some of you guys have been asking about updates on this engagement season of mine. Perhaps some details and plans for the wedding, relationship advice, or even some cute stories. I know I have some things to share, but first, I want to encourage you right where you’re at.

You’re story is uniquely crafted by a Creator who loves you more deeply than any human being ever could. You are enough because of His grace, and you are beautiful no matter how often you may compare yourself to others – whether it’s a job, a paycheck, an appearance, a wardrobe, a relationship, etc. Those are all material things that pass and fade away with the earth. It’s the heart that truly matters, and this is something I’m learning to cultivate more and more when my attention is less on myself and more on Christ.

I haven’t got it all figured out, and neither has Zac (my fiancé), but we are pressing onwards towards the goal that is ahead.

• • • • •

Zac and I have been dating since December of 2016. Pretty early on we knew this relationship was turning into something special, and it was confirmed when I realized my cat Mooie had a man-crush on him, oh and when we got engaged in February of 2018!

Throughout our relationship, Zac proceeded to meet the fam and I met his, and everything melded together nicely. And thankfully it still does. We are very blessed to have such great relationships amongst our families and all the quirks and goofiness that entails.

At the onset, even though I knew we had a great relationship, I still struggled a lot with insecurity. Having recently come out of a rough relationship prior to Zac, there was a lot of healing that needed to happen, and I found that even though Zac proved to be 110% trustworthy, I still struggled with learning how to trust and knowing my self-worth.

The neat thing about God is that He knows what we need, and He provides in ways we least expect it. Even though I thought my heart would need more time to heal as a single, the Lord sought it fit for me to heal doing life alongside Zac. And what a blessing that has been!

Now, we are currently planning our wedding this coming March, and we are so very excited about it! We have most of the big stuff figured out, now it’s just the little details such as wedding favors, programs, and how we want to do our ceremony.

I’ve heard a lot of people say that wedding planning is annoying and stressful, but honestly, it’s been super fun for us. Since starting grad school in May, we wanted to get the bulk of our planning done before I started classes, and praise the Lord we did! Now it’s just been enjoyable. If you’re in a season of engagement, I encourage you to start early and give yourself more time to enjoy the process rather than rush through it, that’s been a huge stress-relieving point for the both of us.

Anywho, that’s it for now, but stay tuned for more stories and details & don’t forget that your story is worth telling too!

If you take away anything from this post, just know you are loved, you are beautiful, and you are enough. Also, if you could keep Zac and I in prayer during this season as we prepare for our upcoming marriage, we would be so thankful 🙂

All the love ❤