At the front door of the church we would wind up getting married in.

I was in seminary. It was the start of my second year and in two weeks I would be spending all my Sundays at my assigned parish for “field education.” There was another parish that I enjoyed worshiping and a group of my fellow students were going to be there. So I took the Metro in, wound up walking in the wrong direction, after turning around I see this very pretty girl across the way as I waited for the cross-walk signal. I cross and wind up walking behind her.

I didn’t want to come across as a creep, so I gave her some distance. I assumed she was a grad student at the nearby university heading toward her place. But I saw her go for one of the doors to the church, which didn’t budge (apparently it was broken). Having been to the church before AND assuming that no cute girl my age would be a parishioner AND the general complexities of being a man prone to explaining things, I said “there’s another door over here.”

Stifling her urge to snarkily say “I know” she followed me in. We were both several minutes late. The choir was well into their infamous seven minute rendition of the Gloria. The pew in which my friends were positioned was full. So I was looking around. I happened to catch the girl’s eye again and she gestured that I could sit with her. So I did and we awkwardly communicated various things until the end of the service. After the service we made small talk as we moved toward the clergy at the door and the requisite coffee following. Learned that we were both from the same state originally. She learned that I was in seminary (she had also assumed that I was a university student). She was lovely and smart and I was completely smitten. There was an obvious click for both of us.

And then I left. I said goodbye and that it was lovely to meet her. I did not ask her number. I only knew her first name. I did not want her thinking that I was only at church to troll for women. I figured that I would meet her again.

I called my mom. I said “I met my wife today.” She asked if I had asked her for a date or anything. Nope.

Turned out that the following week a good friend of mine would be preaching at the same church. All of my friends told me I had to go back and see about this girl. Once I started field education I’d probably never see her again. So I did. And we closed out the post-church coffee time. We exchanged numbers. Went on our first date and wound up kissing in the shadow of the Lincoln Memorial while “Taps” played softly on the air from Arlington.

Just shy of two years later we were married in that same church. We took photos in the pew where we first sat. It’s been fifteen years and four kids later and I still thank God for turning the wrong direction out of that Metro station.