Mariah & Isaac Hertzler
But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these
things will be added to you.
—Matthew 6:33
That all happened since last year?
were my exact thoughts as I began looking
through pictures to share this Thanksgiving. The Lord has worked in so many ways since
last November, and I am grateful for the ups and the downs. Many prayers have been
answered, and lots of growth has happened along the way! So here we go!
January: Isaac proposed to me on January 15 (which was our fifteen-month dating
anniversary—so a golden!) and I said, Yes!!
We dressed up for a nice dinner nearby
and then went to the chapel where he used to work and danced to the first song we ever
danced to. After that, he got on one knee and asked if I would marry him. It was a blur
but also such a dream come true!
February: At the start of the month, Isaac and I got into a car crash and wrecked my favorite Honda Civic. I am so thankful for how God brought protection and peace after a scare! This helped me to learn how fragile life is and that truly everything belongs to God. We also continued to be involved with Real Life Campus Ministry at Ferris State University during the spring semester.
March: Our church in Big Rapids has a marital mentoring program that we joined in March leading up to our summer wedding! God placed us with a sweet couple, Don and Paula, who spent sixteen weeks with us diving into God’s word and marriage books. This was such an encouragement in our engagement as it pushed us into hard conversations and realities with a close relationship such as marriage. One of the biggest takeaways was practicing the concept called the judgment of charity. No one knows the motives of others, but what we see is their methods. It is always imperative to assume the best about others’ motives and not be quick to accuse or judge based on something we cannot see.
April: We found an apartment that fit our needs perfectly and fit in our budget, and Isaac moved in! It has been a joy to have our own space and be able to host people. Making a space our space and a home has been such a simple gift from God! We thank God for providing this space for this time, as we have been able to host community group here this fall! This was also the month that Isaac switched from working at Eagle Village to working in the landscape and garden center at New Horizons Landscape. This was a huge answer to prayer, for it provided a change to working hours and allowed us to attend church together each Sunday.
May: In May I wrapped up my first year teaching third grade. I learned so much about myself, trauma, learning differences, and the educational system as a whole. After praying for a few months, I notified my principal that I would be resigning. God used the year teaching to grow me and open my eyes to different hurts, but I sensed His timing to move on to something different.
June: Over the summer months, I had the privilege of working part time with my church’s children’s ministry director! I organized park play dates, taught elementary large group lessons, and helped with little projects around wedding planning and getting married. It was the perfect summer job to allow for rest and preparation!
July: On July 1 at 3:30pm I became a Hertzler!! Our wedding day was filled with family, friends, worship, and celebration! It was one of the best days of our life as we celebrated our marriage and looked forward to one day when the greatest Wedding Celebration of the Lamb will take place! After our wedding, we trekked down to Tennessee for our honeymoon. Our favorite memories were hiking to a waterfall, swimming in the waterfall, listening to hours of Adventures in Odyssey in the car, making giant pancakes, eating the best tacos in TN, listening to live music in Nashville, and staying in a tiny house! Our busiest month yet, we then took a week trip to Wisconsin Dells with my side of the family. After all the travels, Isaac calculated that we drove for more than 30 hours!
August: I started working part time with our church in the Children’s Ministry and Youth Ministry departments. I’ve had the joy of starting up a drama club and directing the musical Christmas in Egypt. Another part of my role is mentoring two recent high school graduates who are learning how to be small group leaders in youth group. It has been exciting to try new areas of ministry and be part of the day-to-day life of spiritual development of young people. Another big thing in August is that college started back up at Ferris, and that meant a whole new wave of freshmen! This year I am a volunteer staff with Real Life, which means I help disciple new students, coordinate service projects, and help in other ways to build community for college students.
September: One of my mom friends in the area taught me how to can, and I am hoping to continue to learn other homemaking tasks as the years go on! September lent itself to a quieter season, which was much needed after a full start to married life. God has been speaking to me about the importance of rest and quietness. Some of the fullest moments I’ve had this year were the times I had to be alone with God without a specific agenda.
October: My birthday month! We had the joy of going on the fall retreat with Real Life. My biggest takeaway from the lessons was the truth that God’s truth never changes no matter how much my emotions and feelings do change. It was really special to go and invest in the students who were there and continue to build relationships and dive into God’s word.
At the time of my birthday, I was reflecting on the past year and recognized that God had answered so many prayers that I cried out last year. Since moving, God has provided me with work numerous times, with friendships that are deepening, with a church that has opportunities to serve, with a place to live, and a sweet husband to love me as we learn and grow together. It has been tempting to look at what I do not have and dwell on the tough things. But, amidst the hard days and the lonely tears and the frustrations, God sits with His children. He hears all the prayers cried in secret, and He knows what is best for each person. If you ever want someone to pray with or talk with, I am always here. Or, if you ever are near Big Rapids, Michigan, give me a call, and we would love to host you! Our door is open!