Many have questioned over the last several years—why I haven’t been in a relationship, why I haven’t settled down with someone, why I have chosen to remain single. The truth? This is why—because I knew deep down a love like this existed, and I wasn’t going to give up on that.

In many of these photos, particularly the one above, I’m taking in a moment I had slowly but surely begun to believe may never come to pass, and truthfully, I had made peace with that. Though doubt had crept in, deep down I knew God was preparing me for the kind of love I had been praying for.

There’s so much we can’t possibly understand about God, His timing, how He works. But if there is one thing I have no doubt about it’s that He is good.

God never promises we won’t have storms, but what He does promise is that He has good plans for us if we just focus on Him. God knew I would soon be entering into a season I couldn’t weather alone. So He sent someone to me—not just any someone but the kindest, most sincere, supportive, and beautiful someone I could ever ask for. Further, He made sure I was whole before entering that season.

He sent me a leader, a provider, a protector, a defender, a man prudent enough to cover me in prayer and strong enough to carry me on the days I can’t find the strength to fight. The most amazing thing about Daniel is with him, I never have to plead; I never have to bargain; I never even have to ask. He just knows; he just leads.

God sent to me someone that looks a whole lot like Him. If there was ever any doubt in my mind of God’s presence in my life, it was crushed in an instant the day I met Daniel. Undoubtedly that was the day God’s love for me became manifest in the form of a man, a man that possessed every quality I had ever prayed for.

My season of singleness completely blessed my life. It allowed me to become the best version of myself before sharing myself with someone else. Love isn’t about finding someone that completes you. It’s not about two halves coming together to make a whole, but rather, two wholes coming together to make a pair.

Two cannot be better than one before finding your identity, your peace, your joy, and your purpose in Christ. God waited for my identity in Him to reach full maturity. He waited until He knew I wouldn’t make man into an idol. He waited until my desire for His love became stronger than my desire to be loved by anyone else. I’ve waited a long time for this, but truthfully, the wait was necessary. The wait was growing me into a suitable mate and pushing me closer to God. When my relationship with God had reached its full capacity in that season, God sent someone to call me even higher, someone to lead me and push me even further into His arms. Love is patient; love is kind, unselfish, pure. Love calls you higher; love makes you better. Love of man will never, however, make you whole.

I thank God, for showing me only in His perfect timing, will two be better than one; I thank God for making me fit for someone who looks so much like His Son, Jesus.

He’s the laughter I need on my darkest days, the missing piece to my puzzle, the jelly to my peanut butter, the answer to my prayer. Im so excited I get to do life with this man!

It was mere hours after I met the man that would go on to become the love of my life. It was morning; I opened up the curtains, and there I saw two Tufted Titmouses. I felt a quickening in my spirit knowing God so often speaks to me through His creation—especially birds. I thanked Him for that special moment, and a small part of me took it as a sign. Of course, I needed more confirmation. God knew this. No more than an hour later, I peered outside at my feeder and there I saw two Cardinals eating on opposite sides of my feeder. “Ok, God, I see You’re at work here; I feel it.” I said silently in my heart. Moments later, I absolutely could not believe my ears and my eyes as I set my gaze on two beautiful Wood Peckers drilling away in unison at the side of my home.
I decided to visit Mama later that day. It was a beautiful day, and I remember it so vividly. We talked for about an hour at her kitchen table, and then she began to make her way outside. “Look at that beautiful bird.” she said. Mama knows I love birds. Her next words struck me to the core of being—“There’s two of them!” She exclaimed.

“When Two Are Better Than One” is inspired by the man God sent to care for me during a dark and burdensome season of my life. The dark figures represent the shared bond between Daniel and I, both silhouettes sharing in this coloring. The gold outline represents God’s encapsulating love and blessing on the relationship.

God’s timing is everything, and if there’s one thing I’ve learned in all of this, it’s that His timing is clear, leaving no room for doubt in His goodness. So the question remains. Two—are they really better than one? I’ve finally come to know, to experience first hand the answer to this age old question—in God’s timing, it’s an astounding “Yes.”

For everything there is a season, and a time for every matter under Heaven. (Ecclesiastes 3:1)