Perfectly aligned: LinkedIn connection blossoms into marriage
Published:Sunday | July 11, 2021 | 12:07 AMShanna Monteith - Sunday Gleaner Writer
“There is an astonishingly divine power that connects each of us to our destiny and creates unbreakable spiritual bonds in the most unexpected ways and places. This love that Dorian and I have found is the manifestation of an astute power, and without a doubt, God’s sovereign will,” shared Shantol Parris, who gracefully took on the surname Beckford on June 26.
The faithful woman told Family and Religion that days before meeting the man who would take her as his wife, she began to experience a strong sensation in her heart - like a pulling from someone who was highly anticipating the unearthing of her love.
A little over two weeks later, on December 13, 2019, she met Dorian.
“Indeed, God uses the foolish things to confound the wise as I would often express to my friends that I knew I would meet my husband very soon. My heart was being prepared for the love I was about to walk into, and before knowing him, I truly felt Dorian’s love after I yielded to God’s instructions that directed me to pray the single most powerful prayer I have ever prayed in my existence,” Beckford told Family and Religion.
“...I got home from work one evening, almost as if I were compelled, I knelt in the dark and started praying a humble, persistent, and expectant prayer regarding the manifestation of my husband,” Beckford said.
Sharing how it all happened, the 29-year-old woman admitted that she found the single, most beautiful answer to her prayer in the most unlikely of places.
She shared: “God has His methods, and He pays very keen attention to the details you place in His hands. I remember doing my routine LinkedIn profile checks, and each time I logged in, Dorian’s profile kept coming up as a suggested connection, and every time, I would open and view his profile because he seemed remarkably familiar as though I had met him in person somewhere prior to seeing his profile. I ignored the connection suggestions, and within just a few days, Dorian sent me a connection request and a message. When I saw the messages, it was almost as though I intrinsically knew what this man was about to say before he said it. From there, we exchanged numbers, went on a date and just fell in love. Just like Dorian always describes our love, it is simply divine. When it happens, you will know.”
Some 17 months later, the two exchanged vows of forever.
“… and through the work of God’s big hands, our goals are already perfectly aligned. We have dedicated our marriage, in full submission, to allow God to use what He has put together as a ministry here on Earth. Although we have hard days, we never lose sight that this love is an extension of the love of Jesus Christ. Hence, we have made Him the centre, foundation, and rock on which we continue to build our union,” Beckford said.