Relationships can be complicated, emotional, and sometimes confusing. But when God is involved in the story, you begin to see His hand guiding the details in ways you never expected.

In this video, we share our Christian relationship testimony and the story of how God brought us together. Looking back now, we can clearly see that God was working behind the scenes the entire time — even during the moments when things felt uncertain or difficult.

Our prayer is that this story encourages you to trust God’s timing in relationships and to seek Him first above everything else.

Watch the Full Christian Relationship Testimony:

How God Brought Us Together

Our story actually started years before we ever considered being in a relationship.

Johnny first noticed Ashley while studying at Moody Bible Institute in Chicago. One day in class, Johnny had an assignment to prepare a devotional on Psalm 63. While researching online, he came across a YouTube video explaining the passage.

The video was created by Ashley.

Johnny later discovered that Ashley attended Moody as well and would occasionally see her around the campus ministry called Crossroads where he served as the music director.

Although they briefly interacted and knew of each other, they were mostly just acquaintances at the time.

Johnny later shared that he admired Ashley’s strong focus on Scripture and how her videos helped people fall in love with God’s Word.

The Question That Changed Everything

After graduating, Johnny moved to Iowa to pastor a young adult ministry.

One day he had a moment that completely changed the direction of his life.

As he describes in the video, he felt prompted with a question:

“Who is the godliest woman you can think of?”

Immediately, Ashley came to mind.

So he decided to reach out.

Johnny messaged Ashley and asked if she would want to grab coffee when he was visiting Chicago. But things didn’t go the way he expected.

Ashley said no.

Actually… she said no several times.

Why Ashley Said No

One reason Ashley kept turning down the invitations was because of a difficult situation.

Ashley explains that her sister had previously liked Johnny. Because of that, Ashley didn’t want to pursue anything that might hurt her sister’s feelings.

So even though they occasionally talked and had mutual respect for each other, Ashley kept her distance.

Johnny even wrote Ashley a letter explaining that he wanted to get to know her better.

But the letter never arrived.

Our First Date

Eventually the two decided to meet in Chicago.

Before the date even began, Johnny wanted to be very clear about something important.

Because he was serving as a pastor in Iowa, he asked Ashley an honest question:

If she didn’t see herself potentially marrying a pastor someday, it would be better not to continue pursuing a relationship.

Johnny explained in the video that he would rather be clear than confusing, even if it felt intense.

For Ashley, though, that conversation created a lot of pressure because she still didn’t know how she felt.

When Our Relationship Fell Apart

After spending some time getting to know each other, Ashley eventually told Johnny she didn’t think a relationship between them would work.

Johnny remembers asking one final question:

“Is there any chance this could ever happen?”

Ashley answered honestly.

“No.”

For Johnny, that moment was incredibly painful.

Even though they weren’t officially dating, he realized that he had emotionally invested a lot in the relationship already.

He later explained that sometimes people can “marry someone in their mind,” which can lead to heartbreak even before a relationship truly begins.

What God Taught Us During the Break

During this difficult season, Johnny sought wisdom from a mentor who told him something he would never forget:

If God wants you to have Ashley, He will make it happen.
But if God doesn’t want you to have Ashley, why would you want it?

That perspective helped Johnny surrender the situation to God.

During this time he realized something important: Ashley had started to become an idol in his heart.

God used that season to refine him and remind him that his identity and worth must be found in Christ alone.

Ashley was going through her own process as well.

Even though she tried to move on, she realized that she couldn’t stop thinking about Johnny. She missed their conversations and felt like God kept bringing him back to her mind.

After about a month and a half of not talking, Ashley reached out.

Christian Relationship Testimony: Rebuilding a Friendship

When Ashley finally texted Johnny again, something had changed.

There was no pressure anymore.

They simply started talking as friends again — long phone conversations, sharing about life, and spending time together when Johnny visited Chicago.

Slowly their friendship began to grow again.

One day, after running into each other unexpectedly near Lake Shore Drive in Chicago, Ashley realized something she had been trying to avoid.

She was starting to have feelings for him.

The Moment Everything Changed

Not long after reconnecting, Ashley was invited to speak at the young adult ministry Johnny led.

That night of ministry together became a turning point.

Both of them felt that God was clearly working in their story.

Later that evening, while sitting by the lake watching the sunset, they finally had an honest conversation about their feelings.

Johnny asked the question:

“What are we?”

Ashley paused before answering.

“I like you.”

Johnny smiled and replied:

“I like you too.”

That moment marked the true beginning of their relationship.

What God Taught Us Through Our Story

Looking back now, we can clearly see that God was orchestrating every step of the journey.

But it wasn’t easy.

There were seasons of confusion, waiting, heartbreak, and refinement.

Yet those seasons were exactly what we needed.

God used that time to shape our hearts and teach us an important lesson found in Matthew 6:33:

Seek first the kingdom of God.

When we focus first on our relationship with Christ, everything else falls into its proper place.

Encouragement for Anyone Waiting on God

If you are in a season of waiting right now, we want to encourage you with this:

Your worth is not found in a relationship.

Your worth is found in Christ alone.

Whether you are single, dating, engaged, or married, your identity does not come from another person.

It comes from your relationship with God.

Sometimes God doesn’t give us what we want immediately because He is preparing us for something better.

The waiting is often part of the refining process.

Final Thoughts

Our relationship story is ultimately a Christian Relationship Testimony of God’s faithfulness.

We experienced confusion, distance, and heartbreak along the way, but God used every moment to shape our hearts and bring us closer to Him.

Today we can look back and say with confidence:

God truly was in all the details.

And we hope our story encourages you to trust God with your own story as well.