Do you wonder what God actually says about our seasons of life and relationships? Singleness and dating? Marriage and parenting? This February, we're loving the opportunity to hear stories from you - our church! This week, we sat down with Danny McQuaide & Casey Sutherland to hear their relationship story. Danny & Casey are the sweetest engaged couple from Liquid Somerset. In our interview below, Danny & Casey share their story and lessons learned on their way down the aisle.
HOW DID YOU TWO GET TOGETHER?
Danny: We went to Ohio State together and at the end of our sophomore year of college we were inducted into an engineering honors society together. I arrived at the ceremony first and she was last, so she was forced to sit next to me. We killed some time by talking and went on our way... but Casey stood out to me. We didn't end up connecting again for a whole year, but by that point, we started dating and now three and a half years later, we're engaged. We'll be walking down the aisle on March 7th!
Casey: While we were dating, our career paths took us to 4-5 different cities for work - so, we spent the last few years in a long-distance relationship. Once we finally came together in the same state right here in New Jersey, that's when Danny popped the question.
Danny: It's a cool story, actually - I started attending Liquid when I moved to New Jersey for work. I heard Pastor Tim teaching about the Daniel Fast, so Casey and I fasted for an opportunity to live in the same state. This fast prayer worked out really well for us, as we found an opportunity for Casey to move here shortly after the fast was over.
HOW HAVE YOU SEEN GOD AT WORK IN YOUR RELATIONSHIP AS YOU'VE GONE FROM DATING TO ENGAGEMENT?
Casey: For us, a huge blessing was just being able to be in the same place at the same time. I've seen a big change in our relationship from that and being at church serving together and praying together. Doing everyday things together that we never had the opportunity to do like washing dishes or watching movies together. When you've spent as much time long-distance as we have, you can't take these mundane life things for granted!
Also, one thing I truly appreciate about our relationship is our ability to serve one another. How do we put the other first above oneself? How can we honor each other as we prepare our hearts for marriage? It's a mindset switch that's only really occurred to me now that we're engaged.
Also, as we prepare for our wedding next month, we've been taking some really critical steps together. We're doing Marriage Mentoring here at Liquid - and that's been a huge blessing!
ANY LESSONS LEARNED, WORDS OF HOPE OR WISDOM YOU WOULD LIKE TO SHARE?
Danny: When we were long-distance, we had to be so intentional and deliberate. We had to have good communication. Your significant other can't read body language over the phone!
Casey: It's true... When we were long-distance, our communication was a huge blessing to the foundation of our relationship. We learned to value vulnerability and tell each other exactly what we were thinking or needed at the time. Being extremely open and honest goes so far in a relationship! We found that vulnerability breeds trust, and that's helped us keep our relationship going strong.
We're so grateful for Danny & Casey and how they have sought Christ at the center of their relationship from dating to engagement, and we pray that the big day this March is a day they will never forget! If you, like Danny & Casey, are engaged and interested in Marriage Mentoring at Liquid, you can learn more here.