Unbreakable love
God is forever faithful.
“Nothing can ever separate us from God’s love.” —Romans 8:38
Earlier this year, Alan Mann asked Brooklyn Boyer to marry him — five years after he saved her life in a pool accident that left her paralyzed.
Their relationship began in high school on a date to Sonic. Alan said that night, he thought, “Someday, this is going to be the girl that I’m going to marry. I was like, I don’t know why I feel this or know this, but it just felt right, and it hasn’t changed since.”
Shortly after they started dating, Brooklyn struck her head on the bottom of a pool while swimming with friends. The accident changed their lives forever.
Alan had recently completed his lifeguard training. His actions kept Brooklyn alive until paramedics arrived.
“Lots of people say it’s like a coincidence or something,” Alan said, “but I just think it’s a God thing. That day was hard, but looking back at … all the good things and blessings that came from it … God was with us this entire time.”
Brooklyn, paralyzed, had a long road of recovery ahead, and Alan never left her. He even stayed with her for three months when she had to move from Texas to Colorado for rehabilitation.
“I had told him,” Brooklyn said, “that I understood if he didn’t want to continue dating or anything like that, just because I don’t know, I wasn’t naive to that, that not everyone can do that or wants to do that, but he never left my side … He was like, ‘I don’t want to hear you say that again.’”
Brooklyn has come a long way, relearning basic skills as well as new ones, like how to dance in her motorized wheelchair. Her life changed once again shortly after Valentine’s Day when Alan proposed and she accepted.
“I sit like all day just looking at the ring and then I’m like, that’s probably bad, but I just can’t stop,” Brooklyn said. “I just am so happy, so, so happy … He’s just such a blessing. Like, that’s one of the number one words that comes to my brain when I think of Alan, is just, a blessing straight from God.”
I find Alan and Brooklyn’s story very special because it not only shows God’s love actively working in their lives, but the story itself paints a picture of God’s faithfulness to his children.
Romans 8:38-39, says, “Nothing can ever separate us from God’s love. Neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither our fears for today nor our worries about tomorrow — not even the powers of hell can separate us from God’s love. No power in the sky above or in the earth below — indeed, nothing in all creation will ever be able to separate us from the love of God that is revealed in Christ Jesus our Lord.”
Once God has our heart, He never lets go. From the moment He saves us, He stands by us, sustaining us through every fall and setback.
We are like Brooklyn. Alan might have done enough for her just to save her life, but he went far beyond that. He nurtured her with love and loyalty as she journeyed into a brand-new life. God does the same for His bride — us. He does not stop at rescuing us from death. He nourishes us throughout our lives as we grow toward eternal union with Him.
This unwavering devotion powerfully demonstrates God’s love because all of us, like Brooklyn, are broken. We may be complete in mind and body, but spiritually, we are ravaged by sin and crippled by self-centeredness. Yet God heals us, forgives us, guides us, baptizes us in His mercy, and floods us with His bewildering grace.
It’s quite easy — like Brooklyn, who chastises herself for gazing dreamily at her engagement ring — to make this about us. It is, after all, our belief in God that kindles our brand-new life.
But it is God’s belief in us that makes this life worth living.
Graceful Contemplation
“Have courage for the great sorrows of life and patience for the small ones; and when you have laboriously accomplished your daily task, go to sleep in peace. God is awake.”— attributed to Victor Hugo
Big News! New Book!
I am delighted and blessed to announce that the fourth book in my Shadow Point series — Shadow Point Echoes — has been published. If you enjoy spooky romances written from a Christian point of view, you’ll love this series! Click on the image for ordering information and thank you so much for supporting my work!
Thank you for reading!
May 2025 finalized my 33rd year in teaching, and this year’s class was one of my favorite ever! My youth group also recognized three wonderful students who have been a cherished part of our group for over four years. And I was thrilled that Spark published my short story “Porch Light” in its spring 2025 issue — you can read it free at the link below.
Beautiful message. :-)