From Miles to Marriage: How We Made It Work (and You Can Too!)

If you didn’t know, my now husband and I started our relationship, long distance–shocking right? 

My now husband and I were long distance for a little under three years, before closing the distance. We are currently 4 months into our marriage, and looking back, I’m grateful that we made it through because long-distance is not for the faint of heart! It takes a level of commitment, trust, and patience that can be challenging. But, when done with purpose and God’s guidance, it’s possible—and beautiful.

Long-distance relationships (LDRs) are more common than you might think—yet each one comes with its own set of challenges. Since entering my own LDR, I’ve connected with many people who are either currently navigating distance or have been through it themselves. Hearing their success stories gave me so much encouragement, and while every journey is different, knowing others have made it through is always a reminder that distance isn’t the end of the story.

Long-distance relationships take a little more work than the average relationship because you don’t see your partner every single day. In long-distance, you get to know someone mostly through conversations—and that takes a whole lot of trust.

But if you believe you’ve found your person, then keep on reading sis! I’m here to encourage any of you ladies who may be considering entering a LDR and aren’t quite sure what to expect. No worries, I got you!

Prayer is Essential: Is This For Me?

I’m a prayer warrior so I’m always going to recommend prayer before anything else! Prayer should be your foundation. Before my husband and I moved forward in our relationship, prayer was my first step. I prayed over my heart, my desires, and the future of our relationship. I also spent time deepening my personal relationship with God. I did a lot of healing prior to meeting my now husband which I believe helped with going into the relationship. I was operating from a place of healing, growth, and love that I was able to experience through deepening my relationship with God.

If you’re considering a long-distance relationship or looking toward marriage, prayer is where it all starts. Allow God to guide you, reveal your heart’s true desires, and bring clarity to any areas in your life that need growth. A Christ-centered relationship will always flourish when prayer leads the way.

I believe that any relationship that is Christ-centered will be blessed. You and your partner must both have your individual relationships with Christ and desire to love the way Christ does in order for any relationship to work. Once you invite Christ into your relationship you will begin to see so many positive changes within yourself.

Your mindset will change, the way you view love will change, and your desires will change. If you desire to be married, then prayer is where you should start. Allow God to lead you in your quiet time with scriptures and devotionals that align with what your heart desires and allow Him to reveal to you the areas of your life that need some tending to in order for your relationship to be prosperous. 

Communication: The Glue That Holds Us Together—Even Miles Apart

Now that we’ve talked about prayer, let’s move into something just as vital: communication.

Communicate, communicate, communicate! Communication is essential to any relationship. I’ve noticed that at times we can get away from the importance of communication, especially face to face communication. Nowadays, all communication is done via text or social media, but sometimes you need that face to face moment to really connect with your partner.

Now, since we’re talking about LDRs you’ll need to utilize face-time or any source of video communication because depending on how far you all are from each other, face-time and video calls are going to be crucial. My husband and I face-timed almost every day when we were first getting to know each other and we would always spend the weekends on face-time, usually for our movie nights. Just because you all are apart that doesn’t mean you can’t get creative! On days where face-time wasn’t as convenient we called each other on the phone and would talk for hours. 

Find a communication method that works for you and your partner and allow that to guide you. 

Patience: Rooted in Faith, Blooming in His Time

This is a big one—patience! Long-distance relationships are truly unique, and they come with their own set of challenges. That’s why it’s so important to give both yourself and your partner grace and patience along the way. If this is your first time navigating long-distance love, it’s completely okay not to have all the answers right away. As long as you're both willing to put in the effort, your relationship can and will begin to move in the right direction.

You’ll especially need patience when it comes to visits. I highly recommend creating a schedule and being intentional about planning ahead. How often you’re able to see each other will depend on your locations and circumstances, but having a plan in place brings stability and something to look forward to. Once you establish a visiting routine, stay consistent—and remember, if the end goal is marriage, there should also be a plan to eventually close the distance.

When the time comes to make big decisions (like who will move and where you'll live), try making a pros and cons list together. It’s a great way to talk through your options and approach the next steps with clarity and unity.

And most importantly—seek the Lord in every part of the journey. Ask for His guidance, trust His timing, and allow Him to direct your paths.

Also, don’t rush! I know new love can be exciting but allow God to write your love story in the most beautiful and authentic way on His timing. When you do things in accordance with God’s will and His timing you will see your relationship flourish. 

Overcoming Challenges

Now, let's get into the real—REAL. We did all of those things and still faced some challenges. For example, scheduled visits getting canceled. As you know, you need those in-person moments when you’re able to spend time with your partner, and when those plans change, it’s hard. You’ve waited all week for the weekend, just to end up spending another weekend without them. Trust me, I get it! But don’t let that break you.

So what do you do when you feel you've hit a road block? You have to be honest about what you want. Do you want to make this work or call it quits? Take some time to evaluate the relationship and pray about what you're feeling. Rough patches happen, but they don't have to be the end-all, be-all.  That just means you both are willing to make it work and won’t back down. Fight for each other, not with each other. When you feel there are differences amongst you two, pray it out and talk it out.

You’ve got this!

Long-distance relationships are not easy, but they’re certainly not impossible. In fact, there’s so much beauty and uniqueness in them, and with God at the center, they can become a beautiful testament to trust, patience, and commitment. Keep your faith strong and remember that relationships, no matter the distance, take work. Pray, stay focused on your end goal, communicate openly, have patience and trust in God’s timing.

So, give it all you’ve got—and let God lead the way!