I'm Melissa, and this is a love story 20 years in the making.

The first time we met, we were both 25. I really wanted to be a mom one day, and he had already had a vasectomy, so I made the hard decision to walk away. We lived completely separate lives, went through marriages and divorces, and I never imagined our paths would cross again.

But 20 years later, they did. After both of our divorces, we found each other again. There is no other explanation except that the Lord brought us back together.

About a year and a half ago, he proposed to me at a Japanese restaurant. We said yes to forever. We are planning a small wedding at our local church, Maple Baptist Church in Cottageville, South Carolina, hopefully this October - timing just depends on when we have the funds to make it happen.

To me, marriage means I will finally have someone by my side forever and I will never have to be alone.

Life has not been easy getting here. I live with congestive heart failure and he lives with Crohn's disease. When we have to take off work for doctor visits and flare-ups, it makes it so hard to keep up with bills, let alone save for a wedding. 

I lost my mom a little over two years ago and I have been in a really deep depression since. I'm praying this wedding helps me find joy again and learn to enjoy life again.

We've never had a big trip together - in fact, I've never had a big trip at all. We did buy a little special - a two-day cruise with two days at a resort - but the expiration date is passing and we won't be able to use it.

My dream is simple. I want to be able to have our wedding catered so my family doesn't have to worry about cooking, serving, and cleaning. I want them to just be able to enjoy the day with us. And if God provides, I would love for us to go somewhere tropical for our honeymoon, just to sit, relax, and enjoy being together and thanking Him for a second chance.

If you feel led to give, here's what your gift would go to:

• Catering and small costs for our church wedding so our family can celebrate, not work

• Travel for a modest tropical honeymoon

• The little extra fees that come with a wedding day

Anything extra that is left over, we will be donating directly to our church, Maple Baptist.

Thank you so much for reading our story, for praying for us, and for sharing. Whether you can give or not, we feel your love and we are so grateful.

With love and gratitude,

Melissa & Jason