Michelle Elizabeth Mitchell
and
Joshua Michael Bemenderfer

The beginnings

I was raised by parents that had dedicated their lives to serving the Lord. Despite that, it was a long time before the Lord finally did start visibly working in my heart. My stubbornness and self-assured nature did (does) not yield easily. Yet, I always hoped to develop friendships that would truly be iron sharpening iron. Since my family moved every couple of years, such opportunities were few and far between. In 2018, after a convoluted road, the Lord brought me to the Northwest GA area. Not long after that, I met Michelle at a 4th of July party... and immediately forgot her. - Josh

I'm the daughter of two computer programmers from Georgia. They are both smart, creative, and servant hearted - qualities I grew up admiring very much. My parents chose to homeschool me and they taught me to think for myself, to dig deeply for the truth, and to truly know Christ. I grew up loving to read, to seek the truth, and to genuinely enjoy lively, edifying discussions (debates). I was more than once told I was a bit much. Too intense, too opinionated. - Michelle

Frenemies

Some time after, Calli Pritchett Smith (a mutual friend) invited a group to hike up Kennesaw Mountain. Being the intense people we are, we argued all the way up and down the mountain.

This became a bit of a pattern. When the hiking group would get together, we would often find ourselves wrapped up in intense discussions on matters of theology, wisdom, worldview, and practice.

Michelle found Josh rather frustrating, but also smart, logical and sometimes frustratingly right. Josh enjoyed the discussions, finding them helpful for sharpening, and he appreciated Michelle's wisdom and sincere depth in working through challenging matters, leading to much conviction in his own heart.

After several years of this dynamic, we found ourselves more often sending things to each other just to see what perspective and wisdom the other might bring. We often worked together to figure out how to approach sensitive situations in a Christlike manner.

Josh makes it complicated

As time went on, Josh began to notice not just Michelle's wisdom, but her heart in service and love for the people, young and old, the Lord had placed in her life. He started to ponder...

Simultaneously, Ben and Laura Adams kept pestering Michelle about whether or not she was interested in Josh. She thought about it, prayed, wrestled, and... determined that she was very sure that she was certainly not, despite adminiring his walk with the Lord and servant-hearted nature. “I don't mind if God changes my feelings, but yeah,” she texted them.

Josh worked up the courage to talk to Michelle's father, Sammy. Shortly after, he kind of sort of not exactly asked Michelle out. It was complicated.

A month later, after many confusing conversations with Michelle, (and on Michelle's end, a lot of long, late-night talks with her parents and her friends Allison, Madison, and Laura) Josh gave her a clearly-worded, heartfelt letter and properly asked her to go out with him. She said no, drove home, and cried.

A week later while they both were at Ben and Laura Adams' house, she asked Josh if it was too late to change her mind.

Apparently it wasn't.

The goodness of God

For many years Michelle had been praying for the kind of man she hoped the Lord would provide. The night she told Josh no, she had started to realize her heart maybe was changing. When she got home, she spread out her old prayers and clearly saw how specifically the Lord had answered. He had provided a man who truly followed whole-heartedly after Christ, loved people, loved to laugh, and loved her. God had provided the gentlest, strongest, kindest man, a man who truly saw her. And God let her see him back.

When he first asked Michelle out, Josh knew Michelle was uniquely and remarkably devoted to the Lord and the love and service of his people. But the intricate detail and warmth of her heart captured and warmed his. The Lord loves her, and loves so, so, so many people through her. God has made a precious treasure in Michelle Elizabeth Mitchell, and I am overflowingly blessed to have been given the joy of trying to show the love of Christ to her, and receive it from her.