Bethany Wisdom: [00:00:00] I didn’t hear from him for a month. So it was like a whole month went by and then he popped back up and he was like, “Hey, I’m really sorry. Like, I’ve been really busy with work,” and da, da, da, da. And so then he started his, his communications became even less frequent. And so at that point, like he never really said, “Hey, we’re not gonna work out.”

Like, he never, like, it was just kind of like a, a ghost.

Dawn Pruszkowski: Love stories fill us with joy and inspire hope for the future. And a true life romance can remind us that sometimes just one spark is all it takes to change

Bethany Wisdom: everything

Dawn Pruszkowski: They fell in love over the phone, and then he disappeared from her life. 14 years later, one bold prayer changed everything. Welcome to Unexpected Love Stories. I’m your host, Dawn Prushkowski, and [00:01:00] today, I’m so honored to have Bethany Wisdom here to share her inspiring love story. Bethany’s a real estate broker licensed in Tennessee and Virginia.

She’s also helped lead worship at her church for more than 20 years. Welcome, Bethany. I’m so glad that you’re here.

Bethany Wisdom: I’m so glad to be here.

Dawn Pruszkowski: You have… Oh, yes. Um, you have such a wonderful story of holding on to hope, so I know that this is gonna inspire a lot of people. Um, okay, so let’s start at the beginning, Bethany.

Like, what were you doing, um, before you met John, and what were the unique events that introduced you to him?

Bethany Wisdom: So I met John in 2010, and I had, um, I’d come out of a season of, of a real, a real difficult season just with, um, you know- Of trying to figure out who I was. You know, there was a lot of stuff going on in my personal life.

I’d kind of [00:02:00] felt like I had gotten to a place where I was finally above water. And, um, I had gone to cosmetology school, and I had become an esthetician. And so I was working actually at the school, um, in 2010. And I got a phone call from his sister, and his sister, his- her name is Jen, and she went to my church.

And so that’s really how we, you know, f- first connected. And so Jen is, um, she, she is closer to my parents’ age, you know? So like, I didn’t really hang… I didn’t really know Jen very well. Um, but I ended up being on the worship team with Jen. And so, um, that’s kinda, that’s kinda where I was in the minute. And so she called me and said, “Hey, I have this really random question.”

And I was like, “Okay.” I’m like, “Hey, Jen. I, I mean, I wasn’t expecting to hear from you.” She’s [00:03:00] like, “Are you single?” And I was like, “Uh, yeah, I am single.” And she goes, “Well, um, I just think you’re amazing, and I have a brother, and he’s amazing, and he’s single.” And like, and I, and I was thinking, I’m like, “Well, Jen is as old, like almost as old as my parents.”

Like, I, I don’t know. I mean, I’m like, “Well, Jen, like, how old is your brother?” That was my first question for her. And she goes, “He’s like, he’s 31, 32, something like that.” And I was like, “Okay. Well, that’s, that’s better than I was thinking,” because Jen was, at the time, in her 40s, and I was 21. And so I was like, I was like, “Okay.”

She’s like, “You know, I was just… I’ve never done this before. I’ve never intervened in my brother’s love life, but I, I’ve told him about you, and I just think that you guys would be great together. And just send him a friend request [00:04:00] on Facebook and put it in his court and just see what happens.” And I was like, “Okay.

Well, what’s his name?” And and so she told me his name is John Wisdom. And I was like, “Well, that’s a really cool name.” Um, you know? And so I friend requested him on Facebook, and he basically friend re- he accepted my friend request like three days later, and he sent me this big, long message on Facebook. And you know, what’s really cool is that, you know, Facebook is almost like a time capsule because you can kinda go back and…

So I actually have all his messages, which is, which is neat ’cause I can go back and look at them. But you know, he kind of did this long introduction about who he was and how he was really, you know, he was really struck by the fact that his sister has done this because It’s, it was pretty unusual, you know, for her.

Um, and so we started messaging back [00:05:00] and forth. And so that’s really kinda how our relationship got started is really just Facebook messaging back and forth. And then, then that turned into phone calls, and so we started talking on the phone. And again, in 2010, this was even before really like FaceTime, you know, definitely Zoom.

We had Skype, but we didn’t actually Skype. Um, and so we would talk three… Started talking every day, three, four hours a day. And, you know, it was like the highlight of my day was to get to talk to him. And, and I was

Dawn Pruszkowski: very- So where- Sorry, go ahead … at this time, you’re living in East Tennessee.

Bethany Wisdom: Yeah.

Dawn Pruszkowski: And where was John living?

Bethany Wisdom: He was in Texas. Okay. So we were long distance, and so it was one of those things, like that was one of his hesitancies was because he had never really done anything long distance before. And, you know, I hadn’t, I hadn’t had very many relationships at [00:06:00] that time, and so i- I was like, “I don’t know anything different.”

You know? So for me, I was just like, I knew that I really enjoyed talking to him. Um, you know, growing up my my mom would say, “Oh, he’s just a DB,” like he’s a dumb boy. You know? Like he was, he’s a DB. And, you know, I have, I’ve always been attracted to intellect, and it’s been something that, like, that was something that really struck me with John.

It really struck me with him because he was so smart, and he was well-read, and he had just… I mean, he was a great conversationalist, and I really appreciated that about him. And we shared all kinds of things about our lives and, um, and so then by the time… It was around December of 2010, he was like, “You know, I really wanna come to Tennessee and meet you in person.”

And he’s like, “I wanna, I wanna plan a trip. I’m gonna [00:07:00] come. I’ll stay with my sister and see Jen, and then I’ll, I’ll, we’ll, we’ll hang out.” And so he did. He came, um, in February that, 2011, and we had a great time. But, you know, I don’t know if you’ve seen the show Love is Blind. Have you seen that show? Mm-hmm.

Okay. So in the pods, like when they’re talking to each other, they’ve developed this real connection to each other, and it’s, it’s very much the same when you are talking on the phone to someone. Like- Mm-hmm … you know their voice and you know the way that they say things. But trying to reconcile that with their physical presence is a very different experience.

And so there was a lot of like, “Oh,” like, “I ha- I have to get to know you again, like in a very different way.” And so, um, he took me out for coffee, and he actually gave me a necklace, and it was a cross necklace. And he was like, “You know, I just wanted to give something to you. I want, you know, th- this [00:08:00] is, this, this spoke to me about you, and I just, I wanted you to have it.”

And so I just thought that was so sweet. Jewelry is the way to my heart. It’s, you know. Um, but anyway, we had a great week together. And, and so I had said, “Hey, listen, like, I wanna come to Texas and, you know, kind of do the same thing.” And so I planned a trip to come to Texas. Well, at that time, um, he was kind of between jobs, and he ended up getting hired for, uh, an oil and gas company.

And so literally he started like a week and a half before I got there. So he couldn’t ask for time off. Like, there was no ability to, like, say, “Hey, like, I gotta, you know, my, my girlfriend is coming.” Like, there was none of that, right? Mm-hmm. And so, um-

Dawn Pruszkowski: So were you guys calling each other boyfriend and girlfriend at this time?

Bethany Wisdom: No, we were not.

Dawn Pruszkowski: Okay. Okay. Well,

Bethany Wisdom: at least he wasn’t saying it to [00:09:00] me. He was telling other people, but he wasn’t- Uh-huh … saying that to me. But I ki- Okay … I was like, “You know, this is my intentional friend.” Like, I was like- … I don’t know. So-

Dawn Pruszkowski: How do we label thi- How

Bethany Wisdom: do we label this? What are you? Yeah. Like, you know, it’s long distance.

It was wei- but, like, he told his boss that, “Oh, well, my girlfriend is in town.” So then I was like, like I’m your girlfriend? Like, I had no idea that that was what we were doing. So…

Dawn Pruszkowski: Am I a girl that’s a friend- … or am I your girlfriend? Yeah.

Bethany Wisdom: Exactly. And so I’m just like, “Oh.” But I ended up spending pretty much the whole week with his mom.

And so she took me around and showed me Fort Worth and Dallas and all this stuff. And I went to, we went to museums, and we had a great time. We had a really good time. Um, but she took me to a prayer meeting that was there, you know, at the, at their church. Um, and during that prayer meeting, the [00:10:00] Lord showed me a picture, and it was my heart and John’s heart, and He placed it on an anvil.

And then He started pounding it and pounding it and pounding. And all these sparks were flying. There, it caught on fire at one point. Like, and, and there was just a lot of drama around this situation. And then when all the smoke cleared- It was a weapon. And so it looked like kind of like this really, like, long sword spear thing.

And the Lord spoke to me and He said, “This is gonna be really hard, but I’m going to use it as a weapon against the enemy.” And, and I was like, “I don’t even… Like, I don’t know what… Like, I don’t even have a grid for this, Lord. Like, I, I don’t understand what this means.” Um, and you know, and so because I was 22 at the time and I was immature, I…

You know, this, like, that’s one of those things that you just kind of ponder, right? Like, you ponder that in your h- in your own heart. But [00:11:00] because I had had this, it was very powerful experience, so I, I shared it with John. And I was like, “Hey, listen.”

Dawn Pruszkowski: Should I have, uh, yeah. Should

Bethany Wisdom: I have… I don’t know. So I literally was like, “I’m telling you, man, I went to this prayer meeting with your mom, and the Lord showed me this picture.”

And he’s like, “So what I take from that is, like, basically you’re saying that you think that we’re supposed to be together, but it’s gonna be really hard.” And I was like, “I don’t really know what I’m saying. I, I just, I’m just telling you what I saw.” And so anyway, I was like, I really felt like it was all gonna work out in the end, you know?

Yeah. And I was just like, “Okay, like, this is, this is gonna be a really difficult thing for both of us, but at the same time, God’s using it to, uh, you know, really war against the enemy and for His own glory.” So at that point- To say that it [00:12:00] scared him was an understatement. And he had had, like… In hi- in his lifetime, he had had, like, two other girls tell him that, you know, he was the one and God told them, et cetera.

And so he, he kind of wrote it off in a way. Like, you know, he was just like, “I just don’t even know.” So after I left, he pretty much stopped talking to me all together. So that was a very, um… It was a, to… You know, it was, it was a very painful time for me because I was just like, “I don’t understand. Like, we have this deep connection, you know.

I don’t get why you just dropped me like a hot tamale.” So there was a lot of that, and I was just like, “Man, like, this is really sad and it’s very discouraging.” And, um, you know, I didn’t hear from him for a month. So it was like a whole month went by- Mm-hmm … and then he popped back up and he was like, “Hey, I’m really sorry.

Like, I’ve been really busy with work and [00:13:00] da, da, da, da.” And so then he started… His, his communications became even less frequent. And so at that point, like, he never really said, “Hey, we’re not gonna work out.” Like, he never… Like, it was just kind of like a, a ghost. I mean, he really did ghost me, you know. It was, it was ghosting before ghosting was a phrase.

I was so just heartbroken, you know? And so then I was like, “Well, I guess, like… I guess I’m wrong. Like, I guess I misheard some things. Like, I don’t really understand.” And so about almost a year to the day later, I got a prophetic word from, um, from a man who came to our church, and he said, “You have three questions for the Lord.”

And the first one, you know, it was about, you know, some stuff that was going on as far as the worship team. And then, you know, the other one was about moving because at the time, I ha- I was real like, “I don’t wanna be here in Tennessee. Like, let me [00:14:00] just go somewhere else, God. Like I just… Send me somewhere else.”

And the Lord said to me You know, I’m actually planting you here. I’m, I’m giving you roots in Johnson City so that you can branch out. And so you’ll be, and I’ll be taking you out and bringing you back, and taking you out and bringing you back. And, and he said the third thing, um, was am I going to be married.

Not, God, when am I gonna be married or anything like that, because it, that’s always been a dream of in my heart was marriage. Um, but he said, he’s like, “You know, the Lord says yes, you are going to be married.” Um, and, and he did this motion. So like, you know, I live in Tennessee, and he lives in Texas, and he did this motion and he’s like, “But the Lord, he’s not ready yet.

But the Lord is going to make him ready, and when he is ready he’s going to bring him to you. And when it happens, it’s gonna be, it’s gonna [00:15:00] happen very quickly, and people will marvel at it.” And I was just like, okay. Like, I’m gonna, I’m gonna trust the Lord- Hold onto that. Yeah, I’m gonna hold onto that. And like in, in my mind I instantly thought of John because I’m like, well I just had this, I just had this vision, you know?

Like just, you know, a year ago. And so I really was like, I’ve, I wrestled w- with it, you know? I sat there and I wrestled with it, and I was like, okay I can, I’m gonna, I’m gonna wait. I’m gonna wait on the Lord. Well, you know, as time goes on, all, all of a sudden like I realize like okay, like two, two or three years go by, and I’m feeling really like disillusioned, you know?

Like I’m like, okay I, I’ve waited already a year. Now it’s been two years. Now it’s three years. And so to say that I had a quarter life crisis is probably also an understatement. But I [00:16:00] started to really kind of think like, okay, am I actually gonna get married? Like, you know, maybe I should start dating. S- maybe I should do this.

Like, and so I started going on dates with people and, um, I did have, you know, several, several relationships in there. But literally it was like I would be dating someone else, and then he would call me, John would call me, and I would just drop him like a hot tamale. I mean, I really did. I, I said, “I can’t,” you know?

Like, “I have to make room for this relationship,” right? Mm-hmm. And, um, and so it would be like six months later or a year later I would hear from him, and then he would just pop up. And I would be like, “Oh, okay. Well, great.” Um, and so anyway, but I had kinda decided like I can’t wait. I can’t live my life- waiting.

Like, I can’t just put my life on pause. Like, I actually, you, you actually have to live your life, you know? So it was like- Mm-hmm … okay, I’m gonna buy a house. And so I bought a [00:17:00] house at 25, and I’m gonna start traveling the world, and so I started traveling the world. And even though I was in a really lonely place, the Lord gave me a best friend, and we did so much stuff together.

Sorry, I’m gonna make… It’s gonna make me cry. It’s okay. But, but it was such a, it was such a season of, like, really the Lord showing His kindness to me even in the waiting. And at the time, I didn’t realize that it was a kindness, but it was like, you know, I was able… Like, He, He provided for me in every step of the way.

Um, and so in 2018, I actually got accepted to go to, um, a worship school At Bethel and, um, in California, and I was there for a few weeks. Um, and they had this… I was really struggling ’cause there was a lot of stuff going on, but, um, John had started talking to me [00:18:00] again. You know, like, we s- we were talking pretty regularly.

And the, in the midst of this worship service, he, um, the worship leader was saying, you know, “I just feel like we need to ask the Lord, you know, what lies are we believing about ourselves?” And, and I was like, I’m very s- I’m pretty self-aware. So I’m like, I don’t know if I really am believing a lot of lies, but I, I’ll ask, you know, like…

And, um, and so I said, “Okay, Lord, you know, reveal to me the lies that I’m believing.” And instantly he spoke to me and he said, “You believe that your dreams are too big for me.” And immediately it was like the, the dream of marriage, the dream of having a family, the dream of owning a bakery, like all of these different things, like, came to my mind and it was like, oh, I could never do that, or I could…

This isn’t gonna happen or [00:19:00] whatever. But instantly, like… So I’m s- so I’m over there repenting, you know, sobbing, repenting. And sure enough, this, this guy came up to me and he was like, “Hey, the Lord has a, has given me a word for you.” He starts telling me this, this, like, huge mes- it was very, it was a very profound prophetic word.

But at the end of it, he said, “And even today, you’ve said in your heart, Lord, w- um, your, my dreams are too big for you. But God says that they’re not big enough.” And I was just like, oh my goodness, you know? Like, I just felt so overwhelmed by just the Spirit of the Lord in that moment. And you know, shortly thereafter, s- sure enough, like, so after that experience, like, John stopped talking to me again, and we didn’t talk from 2018 to 2024.

And so in the midst of that, it was like, um- some [00:20:00] crazy things happened, but the synopsis is, is that the Lord actually gave me a bakery. He opened, He helped me open a bakery. So I had a bakery from 28, the end of 2018 to 2021 after COVID, and it was just the craziest thing in that, like, that, that He’s the God who hears, and He’s the God who sees, and He knows the desires of our hearts, and He actually cares.

And so it’s like, you know, th- this was something, this was a, a desire of mine, this was a passion that I, I really wanted to do, and He, He constantly has put, put me in… ‘Cause I’ve said, “Hey, Lord, like, I, I’m going to do whatever you want me to do.” But He’s constantly put me in the right path. And, um, and I remember calling, I remember calling John in 2021, and ’cause I had some…

I was like, “Hey,” like, “I have some, I need some advice about this.” And he was just like, “You know, I, I think that [00:21:00] your business is Bethany Oaks. It’s not Downtown Sweet. It’s not whatever.” And I was just like, “Okay, yeah, that’s good advice.” And then a few days later, the Lord showed me that He was putting me on another path, that there was, like, all of these, these things that just happened that, you know, my mom had opened a real estate firm.

There was, um, my dad was being called to Scotland for ministry. I mean, there were so many things just happening all right there in that segment of life. And I, and I just so distinctly remember feeling like, “Okay, God is, has put me on a path, and He’s gonna see me through on this path.” Um, in the meantime, I had pretty much stopped dating, and I was just like, “Hey, I’m just gonna, I’m just gonna be the fun aunt that travels the world.”

And I have 14 nieces and nephews, so I was like, “I don’t really… I mean, I have a lot of fulfillment. I have a best friend. I have, you know, [00:22:00] this stuff that’s going on in my life. Like, I have a great career.” And I am, I’m pretty much done. Like, I’m pretty sure, you know, I’m just gonna, I’m just gonna live out my life.

And in September of 2023, um, you know, I kind of just was, like, in this, in this place where we had, uh, we had a perf- we had a conference, and a guy came up to me and he was like, “I have a word for you.” And he said, “You’ve put the dreams of your childhood on a shelf,” and the Lord says, “Hey, we’re gonna bring him back out now, and we’re gonna, we’re gonna believe, you know, that he’s gonna do what he said he was gonna do.”

And I was just like, at that point I was pretty mad, to be really honest. I was like, I was like, “Are you freaking kidding me?” Like, like, it has been so many years. I, I mean, at this point, it’s been 13 years. I was like, “I, there is no way, like, that this is gonna happen.” Because I [00:23:00] knew that in my heart it was the dream of marriage he was referring to.

And I was just like, “I’m not taking it off the shelf. I put it firmly on the shelf,” you know? Like

Dawn Pruszkowski: stop. Put super glue on it, yeah. Stop. Stuck

Bethany Wisdom: it there.

Dawn Pruszkowski: Stuck it in there.

Bethany Wisdom: And I was like, “I’m not doing this.” And, um, and so it kind of plunged me into this, like, really sad, dark place, to be really honest. I, I started, like, really just get…

I was pretty depressed in that season going into Christmas, and was just like, “Ah,” you know, having all of my feelings, everybody’s gonna leave me and die one day. Like, I was just… You know, it was, it was a dark, as we say in, in Christianese, it was a dark night of the soul if I ever heard one. But, um, but then in January…

So I go to Italy after Christmas, and, um, still kind of struggling as far as that goes. But when I came back in January, my mom [00:24:00] and my best friend, she was, she’s in the military and, um, she was deployed at the time. And she was coming back that March, and my mom sat me down in January and she said, “Bethany, I, I don’t know how to tell you this, but I feel like when Nicola comes back home, she’s not gonna stay very long.”

And, and I was like, “Why would you say that to me? You’re so mean to me.” Like, I’m like you know, of course you’re taking away, like, my one bright spot, you know, like, like, my companionship that I have in this friend. I’m like… And she’s like, “I’m just telling you. Like, I’m not trying to hurt your feelings, but I’m just saying.”

And I’m like, “Okay, fine.” Well- Fast-forward to February and, um, Jen, she still goes to my church. Um, over the years we’ve kept a relationship. Um, and she, you know, of course she was like, “I don’t understand why my brother did [00:25:00] this to you.” Like, I mean, she had this… She had her own, she has her own story and own feelings about it all.

But, um, in February she catches me before worship and is just like, “Hey Bethany, I just, I wanted to let you know, I want to put this on your radar.” And I was like, “Okay.” Um, “But my mom and my brother are thinking about moving to Tennessee.” And I was like, “Okay. Wow.” And so it, it… I mean, she tells me, she told me later, she was like, “I watched all of the blood drained from your face.”

Because I was like, like, I don’t, I don’t know how to, I don’t know how I feel about this. Like, I don’t know how to respond to this. I, like, have always felt like he was my person, and then he’s, like, rejected me about 97 times. And so, you know, like, how do I, how do I even move forward with that? Would he come to Hosanna, like, you know, my church?

Like, would he go, like, would he be in the same community as me? I don’t know. So- [00:26:00] I’m playing, you know, I’m, I’m, I’m playing the piano and, um, singing, and I’m having this dialogue with the Lord in the process . And I’m like, “Okay, God, like, what would that even look like?” And he brought back to remembrance to me the words that I shared with you earlier.

And, and I was like, “Okay, yeah, but I mean, there’s so much that has happened between us. Like, I don’t know how that this is even, how this is even gonna come together.” Because I mean, he was, he’s, he used to be very prideful. Like, he, you know, he’s not known for his repentance, you know what I’m saying? Like, there’s, there’s a lot of things about him that are wonderful qualities, but he was a little arrogant, you know?

And I was just like, “I just don’t know how this is gonna work.” And so I really felt from the [00:27:00] Lord that I just needed to trust him, and I was just like, “Okay. All right.” So I texted a few of my friends and I said, “You guys know the whole story. Here it is. This is what the Lord spoke to me this morning.” And they were just like, “Well, that’s really interesting, Bethany.

We’ll see what happens.” You know, like, they were not convinced, and I wasn’t really convinced. So, um, so in April, Jen’s husband tra- tragically passed away. Well, then in May, Jen tells me, “Hey, in July, my siblings, you know, we all are gonna get together at my house in Bristol, and I really want you to come, and I want you to be a part of, you know, that week, that week that we’re there.

I want us to worship together. I want us to pray together. I want us to just spend time together and hang out.” And I was like, “Okay, Jen, is your brother gonna be there?” And she said, “Yes.” And I was like, “I just, [00:28:00] I don’t know how I feel about it. Like, I have all these unresolved feelings, you know? Like, like I’m low-key in love with him and have been for years.

Like, you know, I don’t know if I can be in the same place.” And she was like, “Well, you pray about it and just let me know.” And then in June of, of, of 2024, um, we were one month out. Like, I knew they were coming a month ago, and I was like, “Okay, I gotta get serious about this.” So I decided to do, um, I decided to fast.

I told the Lord, “Hey, listen.” If he, if this is not you, then he’s just gonna have to ignore me. But if this is you, he’s gonna have to call me, and he’s gonna have to repent to me for a list of things. Like, it was like, he’s gonna have to say sorry for this. We’re gonna have to talk about this. We’re gonna have to set expectations here for this thing.

I mean, it was like all of this stuff. And I said, “But he won’t do it, God. So good talk. Amen.” That’s

Dawn Pruszkowski: literally [00:29:00]

Bethany Wisdom: where we’re at.

Dawn Pruszkowski: Peace out. Okay. Peace

Bethany Wisdom: out. And I was just like, I don’t, I don’t know what to say or do about this, but I did, I did cont- I’m like, I just kept giving it, giving it to the Lord in that moment, and I, um, and just really thinking, “Okay, this isn’t really…”

I had no faith. Like, at this point I had… I was like very little faith. And because again, like, I know John, you know? I’ve, I’ve, I’ve spent hours and hours and hours of time with him, at least on the phone and, and I’m like, “He’s not gonna do that,” you know? So sure enough, I was wrong. And f- five days later, after I finished my fast, five days later, he texted me and he said, um, “Hey, are you free?”

And I wanted to say, “No, I’m very expensive.” But- … I said, “Yes, I am available.” And so he called me, and I [00:30:00] said, you know, and I said, “Oh, hey. How are you doing?” And he was like, “Well, much better now.” And I said, “Well, that’s great.” And, um, and he said, “Yeah, um, I’m actually calling because I need to repent to you.” And he starts listing off in order the things that I had prayed.

And I was just, I, I was, I was at my house, and I just had to… I was like, “I gotta sit down for this.” Like, I was so, I was so caught off guard that I had no i- I mean, I had no idea. Like, it was, like, a totally in left field thing. Even though I know, I know I prayed it. Like, I know I prayed it. But I was just so shocked that he actually called, and he actually…

I mean, literally, every single item. And I, and I was like, “Wait, wait a second. Wait, wait, wait a second.” Like, he was like, “I’m coming into town. You know, I w- like, can, you know, is there a way forward for us?” And I’m like, “Okay, you’re gonna… We’re gonna [00:31:00] have to, like, we kinda have to back it up.” Like, us? Us? We have to back

Dawn Pruszkowski: it

Bethany Wisdom: up.

Like Yeah. W- what do you mean us? I was like, “Are you saying that you have feelings for me?” And he was like, “Bethany, I’ve always had feelings for you. I have, I’ve always cared for you.” And I’m like, I’m like, “What?” Like, I’m so- Amen … shocked. And I was like, you know, I… Because we had a 14-year break, right? Like, we had a 14-year break.

You, you figure out what you’ll tolerate and what you will not tolerate, you know? And, and I think a lot of that has to do with my age. But I literally started to say, “Well, I mean, there’s a way forward for us if we do, if I set this boundary, and I, we set this b- you know. And I’m, you know, I’m not looking for just a casual conversationalist.

Like, I’m looking for marriage, and if you’re not intent on pursuing something in that…” I mean, like, I would just go, I just went through all my things. [00:32:00] And I just said, “You know what? If he’s not gonna love me now, then, you know, like, it’s, he just, he better get all of me at th- at this stage in my life.” And it was like, um, he said, “Those things are very reasonable.”

And I said- Yes, they are. Like, I was like, “Mm-hmm, they are.” So he said, “I, I wanna take you on a date. What’s the nicest place in Johnson City?” I told him, and he made a reservation that… while I was on the phone with him. And he sent me a screenshot of the reservation and everything, and I was like, “Wow, we are already leaps and bounds from where we were.”

The man with no follow-through, and all of a sudden, like, he, he is, he’s, he is following through. He’s following through. And I was just shocked. I truly was. So that actually was June 27th, 2024. And so, um- Wow … I was like, “Oh, okay.” This is…

Dawn Pruszkowski: And, and for those of [00:33:00] you that don’t know, we’re recording right now on June 27th, 2026.

Bethany Wisdom: 2026.

Dawn Pruszkowski: Okay.

Bethany Wisdom: It was two years ago today.

Dawn Pruszkowski: Come stay connected with us on Instagram and Facebook. Find us at Unexpected Love Stories Podcast, and on TikTok, find us at The Unexpected Love Stories. Join us as we share real-life moments, street interviews, and previews of our love stories. We look forward to connecting with you and chatting with you there

Bethany Wisdom: And so it was the craziest thing.

So I knew that I had… Because of, because of the history of his back-and-forthness, he had created, um, I wouldn’t say enemies within my family, but people were not fans of him because they’d hurt… He had hurt me, you know? He had, he had led me on. My siblings, my parents were [00:34:00] not inclined to accept the situation.

And I just told them everything, and I said, like, “This is the… This is how things have rolled out. This is how things have played out. This is what the Lord spoke to me. This is…” And my, it… I mean, my dad was absolutely shocked. Like, I mean, he goes Like, I mean, when I told him, he goes, “What?” Like, I mean, it was the most dramatic reaction.

He looked at my mom, “Did you know this?” She goes, “No, I didn’t know.” And so it was really funny. But I was like, “So guys, I’m just letting you know, like, this is, this is where we’re headed.” So we went to my nephew’s birthday party right after that. And again, I was not really gonna tell people. I was just gonna just be like, “Hey,” like, “maybe in a month or two after we go on a date, like, we’re gonna…

You know, I’ll make it official, you know, in public.” But [00:35:00] sure enough, uh, my dad, at the party, went to each of my siblings individually and was like, “Hey, did you talk to your sister lately?” And I was like, “What are you doing?” And he… And so then that’s just like putting chum in the water, you know. In my family, it’s like, “What do you mean?

Is there something going on? Is she hiding something from us?” And so then all of them were like, “What happened? What’s going on?” So then I told them all everything, and then I was like, “Okay, well, it’s out of the bag now.” So sure enough, they were all like- I feel like we don’t like him. Why don’t we like him?

Because it’s been so long, you know? Like, both of my sisters said that. They were like, “Oh, that’s amazing. Wait, we don’t like him. Why don’t we like him?” And I was like, “Uh, I don’t know why

Dawn Pruszkowski: you don’t like him.” It’s ’cause, I don’t know. Let me give you 14 reasons. Let me see … Let me give

Bethany Wisdom: you 14 years of reasons why we don’t like him.

So, um, and so then the next day… So one of the things that was kind of [00:36:00] like a real difficult touchpoint in our relationship previously is that he did not wanna tell people about me. And so he didn’t tell his mom or his sisters or anything about me ever. And so they didn’t know he was talking to me. They didn’t know that there was any type of relationship.

And so that was one of my non-negotiables was, “Hey, we’re not gonna be super private about our relationship. Like, we’re gonna tell people. We’re gonna involve our families because that’s what people do. It’s what normal people do.” And he’s, he’s like, “Okay.” And so literally the next… So that Sunday, so this all happened on Thursday.

Saturday was the party and where I told my parents, and then Sunday he had a call with his sisters and mom where he told them that he was going to date me. And, like, that was, like, a huge, a huge thing for me personally because I was like, “Okay, like, he’s serious about this, and [00:37:00] this is real. And I don’t have to be afraid that he’s gonna walk away from me in that moment.”

And it w- it just started reaffirming some of those things for me. And so in July, he came and spent a week here and, um, and that was in July 2024. And it was the first time we had actually physically seen each other. And you know, you change a lot in 10 years. And so that was… It was awkward at first, but it was really good.

And, um, he ended me, he ended up taking me to this really nice restaurant, and it was… When he had made the reservation, he put on the reservation notes, like, “Why are you celebrating this?” You know, “What are… Are you celebrating something?” And he said, uh, “We’re celebrating our fort- uh, 14 anni- 14th anniversary of John being an idiot.”

And And so literally every time the server came to the [00:38:00] table, he was like, “Did John mess up again?” Like, you know, like… And so everybody was kind of in on it, and so they were all laughing and kind of saying, “Wow, 14 years, guys. Congratulations,” you know? And it was just, it was so funny because really, like, we hadn’t, we had taken such a long break.

But from that point, it was, it was like it felt so right, and everything was just like, “Okay, like this is, this is the right time, and this is the right season.” And he had really changed as a person. I had really changed as a person. And, you know, he was very, um, he was very stubborn before, and he was very hard.

And I w- didn’t really know who I was, so I was very loosey-goosey and just was like, “Whatever.” And so in the process of the 14-year break, I’m not saying it’s for everyone, but what happened was, is that he really softened as a person, [00:39:00] and I actually was strengthened as a person. And it is kind of just like the smithing of metal, you know?

Like, when you’re, when you’re exposed to fire, uh, and you’re a piece of metal, and you’re being hammered out, like things get, they get softened and sharpened and strengthened by the, by the method of what you’re doing. Um, and so it really was this, this image of God with His, uh, the, His hammer in, on the anvil of our hearts, of really Him dealing with all of these things in us that to make us really ready for each other.

And I Just was really blown away in that moment of just like, wow, like we’ve, we’ve definitely come a long way in this process. And so sure enough, like we decided that we were going to become official official, [00:40:00] and he ended up, um… Like I came in September, uh, to visit in Texas, and then he came for a whole month in November.

In December, we… He had told me over and over and over again, he’s like, “I’m really… This will be the last Christmas we’re ever apart.” You know, like, “I’m sorry I can’t make it for Christmas.” Like, you know, it’s, you know, we had started kind of doing some… going through some premarital counseling books and dif- different things like that.

So we had already kind of started this process of like, hey, let’s just get a jump on this. Let’s have these conversations. Like, and, um, and so he had told me, he’s like, “Um, Bethany, I’m, I’m just not gonna be able to make it.” I’m like, “Why did you not tell me? And I would have come to Texas for Christmas.”

Because I had already planned a trip for, um, January, and I was coming in January. And so he was like, “I’m really sorry.” And so I [00:41:00] just was like totally convinced. He called me and he was like, “Hey, I’m really looking forward to, you know, going over this book later with you.” And this was December 23rd, 2024.

And I was like, “Yeah, me too.” And so I was on my way to the movie theater, because my family does, like, my uncle usually rents out a whole theater. And, um, they… He basically was like, you know, h- invites the whole family and provides popcorn and drinks as part of his gift to us, which is really sweet. And so I was like, “Well, yeah, I’m on the way to this movie,” blah, blah, blah.

And he was like, “Yeah. Well, that’s awesome. I’m really excited to talk to you later.” And I was like, “Well, yeah, me too. I’ll see you. Um, I’ll see you later.” And he goes, “Yeah.” And what I didn’t know was that he had actually landed in the Tri-Cities, uh, and he was on his way to, to the theater. And so we were in the theater, and my niece [00:42:00] Crosby was sitting next to me, and she was bouncing off the walls.

And she goes, “Where’s John?” And I was like, “Uh, he’s in Texas.” And she goes, “Oh, is that sad for you?” And I was like, “Gee-” At the time she was like six. And, and I was like, “Well, yeah, it is kinda sad.” But she was like, “Are you going to Texas soon?” And I was like, “I’m going in January.” She goes, “Are you gonna kiss him?”

And I said, “I don’t know.” Like, “You’re so nosy.” And so it was really funny. But then after that, my mom was like- Everybody had s- kind of started filing out of the, you know, out of the theater, and my mom had, like, a death grip on me, and I’m like, “So are you about to fall? Like, are you okay?” Like, “What’s going on?”

Like, she goes, “No, just stay back here with me.” And I was like, “Okay.” So we took… We all gathered, ’cause we all gather to take a photo every single time, so we’re like, I’m gathering to take this picture. And I’m standing there in the middle, and they’re like, “Here, Bethany, you stand right [00:43:00] here.” And I’m like, “Okay, why does it matter?

I don’t really know.” And so sure enough, I see this person that I’d only seen, like, a handful of times, but I knew it was Jen’s sister-in-law, so, like, Michael’s, her, her late husband’s sister. And I was like, I was like, “I know… Wait, are they here, too? Is Jen here at the, at the theater? Like, what is going on?” And all of a sudden, John walks out from behind the cardboard cutouts, and it was just, like, this crazy thing in front of my entire family.

And he got on one, down on one knee, and he was like, “Bethany would, Bethany Oaks, would you make me the happiest man and marry me?” And I said yes. And so… And then of course, like, ev- the whole theater erupted, and it was just very, very sweet. So, and then we got married on March 30th. So we had a very short engagement.

Dawn Pruszkowski: So you’re [00:44:00] fast pa- fast-walking it to your, your wedding.

Bethany Wisdom: Mm-hmm.

Dawn Pruszkowski: Um, w- was it in Tennessee?

Bethany Wisdom: It was in Tennessee. So it was, um, at this place called The Waterstone, and I am a big Lord of the Rings fan, and so they have, like, this really beautiful… So they have, like, a hobbit house that’s on, um, on this pond lake thing that they created, and it has, like, lights everywhere.

And, um, and then it also has, um, you know, different, like, different venues, like, as far as, like, there’s a big tent, and in there there was, like, a rock, um, o- they called it The Rock Gallery. And so we actually got married at Hosanna, but then we had the reception there. And so it was just magical. It was one of those things, like, I was just like, “Oh my gosh, this is perfect.”

And-

Dawn Pruszkowski: Any other special memories from that day? [00:45:00]

Bethany Wisdom: So I think probably m- my favorite memory from that day was walking down the aisle, um, was really the whole, the whole processional. It had, I had found this, um, this processional music that had all of these different parts from, uh, from Lord of the Rings, and it was all instrumental and it, so it was like pieced all together.

And so it literally matched up perfectly with everything that I was doing. And so walking down the aisle was, was just kind of a surreal experience. And honestly, I felt such a holy moment in that ceremony and just, um You know, just the real presence of God in the midst of it. And so we, we had worship as a part of our, um, [00:46:00] wedding ceremony.

And so after my dad gave me to John and he started weeping. Like, I mean, he was sure to s- my dad just started bawling his eyes out. And that made, of course, John start weeping, and he is not a crier. And actually, that was, that was my first thought when I saw him was I was like, “I don’t, I don’t know what this face is.

What, what is this face he’s making?” You know? Like, I’d never seen him really like… But he was, like, fighting back tears. And I was just like, “I don’t know what this face is. Is, are we happy? Are we sad? Like, what is happening?” Um, and for him, it was a, it was kind of a mixed bag because, um, his dad passed away in 2018 and, and that was, like, you know, a really…

I mean, his dad was a huge part of his life and his best friend. And, um, and then his mom got sick right before our wedding, and so she was not able to make the trip to Tennessee, so he didn’t have his parents there. And so a part of it was, I think, some of [00:47:00] the emotion from that. But then also, you know, just of the magnitude of what has really happened in our lives around us and so it was really cool.

Dawn Pruszkowski: That’s really sweet. And then you went off on a honeymoon?

Bethany Wisdom: We did. We went to Cancun. And, um, you know, John hadn’t really, had not traveled much because he actually was, um, his mom’s caregiver for about 10 years. Um, and so there was a lot that he, uh, just he hadn’t been exposed to. And so we ended up doing an all-inclusive resort in Mexico because I feel like, you know, that’s, like, the best, one of the best starter trips.

Like, if you’re gonna go travel internationally, you just… You know. Um, it’s, it’s a fun, it’s a fun thing to be able to, you know, do that. And so he found, he found the place. He booked it. It was wonderful. We [00:48:00] had, um… It was like a boutique resort, which I had never really stayed at, like, something that was considered a boutique resort.

Um, but they had a butler for us. And so the butler had what… Well, there were actually two of them. So they had, like, round-the-clock service. But it was really funny because if they didn’t hear from us for a while, or we f- if we had our Do Not Disturb button on, like, they were like, “Uh, family, Wisdom family, are you sure you don’t need anything?”

And they would be WhatsApp-ing us, like, constantly. And then all of a sudden we, we would, we’d be at the pool and they’d just show up there and they’d be like, “Hello, Wisdom family, we’ve been looking for you.” And I’m like, “Okay,” like, like, “Go away.” Like, “We’re trying to have a moment.” But it was really hilarious because we, we thought, we were like, “Man, I think they have trackers on these wristbands that they gave us.”

Like, they knew exactly where we … “Hello, Wisdom family.” And when we got there, we really did think [00:49:00] that maybe we were gonna be trafficked or we joined a cult. We couldn’t figure it out, because there was probably 30 staff to one guest available. So there were all these people that were working there, but no guests.

And so it was … Now, I know now it’s because it’s a new hotel, but it was like they were, like, overly accommodating, and so we were just like, “Okay,” like, “Leave us. L- look, you know, just, just go about your business,” you know? And they’re like, “Serving you is our business, Wisdom family.” And so they would always go-

“Hello, Wisdom family.” We’re like … It was, it was interesting. But You know, my husband, um, is from Texas, and so he is used to the heat. He’s used to the sun. And I told him, I said, “Hey, you know, I’m putting sunscreen on myself,” uh, because I do burn. And so I was just like, you know, “Hey, do you, would you like some sunscreen?”

And he was like, “Don’t need it.” He’s like taking off his [00:50:00] shirt, getting in the pool. And I was like, “Okay, but Mexico sun is different than Texas sun.” He goes, “That’s not how science works, Bethany.” And I’m like, “Okay.” I was like, “But we’re closer to the equator, and so that is how science works.” And he was like, “I don’t believe you.”

And then I was just like, “Okay.” So I generously apply my sunscreen, and then, you know, I’m constantly reapplying my sunscreen because I’m not… I, you know, I personally don’t like sunburns, and I’m trying to, you know, s- stay looking young for a long time. And so anyway, he got back to, to the room, and he’s taking a shower, and he’s like…

I hear him in the shower, and he’s going, “Ah, ah, ah.” And I’m like, “What are you doing?” And he was like, he was like, “I mean, my skin is stinging.” And I’m like, “Yeah, that’s called a [00:51:00] sunburn.” And he was like, he was like, “What are you s- what are you saying to me?” I was like, “I think, I think you have a sunburn.” So he gets out, and I mean, he, he is so red, and it was like he could not…

Like, the whole rest of the trip, like, he was burned so badly. Like, he actually had a third degree sunburn here on his shoulder. So every time… Like, he barely could wear a shirt, but he had to wear a shirt outside to protect him from getting any more sun. But it was like anytime… I mean, he couldn’t be touched on his shoulders at all.

Like, otherwise, he was… I mean, he was just in total pain. He couldn’t lay down on his back. Like, I mean, he… Uh, so just, just the normal things of going to bed, waking up, going to the pool, I mean, it was all painful. So he learned a valuable lesson, that he always needs to wear sunscreen to Mexico, but even a more important lesson, that he should listen to his wife.

So

Dawn Pruszkowski: that’s [00:52:00] Because that’s not the way that he wanted his honeymoon to go.

Bethany Wisdom: That is not how I wanted it to go.

Dawn Pruszkowski: Okay, so you all had to make a lot of adjustments bringing your lives together. Um- We

Bethany Wisdom: did.

Dawn Pruszkowski: Would you just share some of that and how that helped you guys grow the last few years?

Bethany Wisdom: So, like, I’m an Oaks uh, by birth, and, you know, Oakses are

They’re, they are very principled, and they are very strong in their views and their beliefs, right? Like, we don’t, we don’t really waver. Once our minds are made up, we don’t really move on that. You know, it’s like once we decide, it’s decided, and we’re not gonna do this or that or this or that, you know? Um, but Wisdoms change their minds.

And so that’s been … It is, it’s been a very liberating thing for me being [00:53:00] married in this first year, uh, of realizing and seeing it happen in real time, is that I know that, you know, if I present a, a better argument to my husband or, like, maybe to his family or whatever, they, they might be persuaded. Like, you know, the Oaks, they don’t really do that.

So it, it was, it was kind of a whole new thing for me because, you know, he was just like, he is very much … He’s very reasonable in that way because he’s like, “Well, Wisdoms change our minds. Like, if you, you know, if you said to me, ‘Hey, we’ve gotta do this because of this, this, and this,’ and it makes sense to me, and it’s better than the thing that I was gonna do, that makes sense.”

And I’m like, “What? You’re not gonna fight me on it? Like, I don’t understand this,” you know? It’s because it’d be a fight to the death in the Oaks family. So, um, so I think that his ability to just change his mind really helped overcome a lot of the struggle and a [00:54:00] lot of the stuff. There was … You know, I won’t get into some of the fam- family dynamics on his side that were, that were really challenging, but it really brought us closer together, and it allowed us to really say, “Okay, he was very, he was very entrenched, you know, in a few things,” and then he was able, because of the discord that was happening, he was actually really able to cling to me.

So it was really a, a … You know, they talk about in the Bible about leaving and cleaving. Like, it was, it was very much that way. You know, it was like- He actually was able to leave and to really cleave, and I think that that, it made us a really, um… We’ve always had a great relationship as far as the friendship, and I think that that is a real amazing foundation for a relationship.

But it was even more so than that, which it was like, “Hey,” like, “no, we’re in this together forever, and I’m not, I’m [00:55:00] not going to waiver on this ever.” You know? And so he was able to change his mind on a lot, and then he’s able to come and, you know. And then from there, he moved into my house. Um, and, you know, something that was important to me was that we have a house together, and it was like, I love my little house.

You know, like I ha- I was in a town home, and it was, it had good space to it. It really did. But the thing was is like it just, it was not, it wasn’t enough for us to be, to have, like, his stuff out of storage or anything like that. And so I got rid of half my stuff. He got rid of half of his stuff. We were added in together, and so now we just closed on the house, like, two weeks ago.

So-

Dawn Pruszkowski: Mm …

Bethany Wisdom: this is, this is new.

Dawn Pruszkowski: Bethany, thank you so much for sharing your story with us. I, I think that your journey is just a [00:56:00] beautiful reminder that God’s timing is, like, so different from ours.

Bethany Wisdom: So different.

Dawn Pruszkowski: Even… Yes, yes, and that, like, having unanswered questions and years of waiting doesn’t mean that He stopped writing our story.

Bethany Wisdom: That’s right.

Dawn Pruszkowski: Yeah. Well, I’m sure that hearing Bethany’s story made you want to find out more about her and John. And you know what? That’s really easy. Just click the link in the show notes that says More Info and Photos, and it’ll take you right to her episode page on our website. And there you’re gonna find out more about her, more about John, what they’re doing.

You’ll see lots of their love story photos, as well as contact information so you can reach out, and that’s all on our website, unexpectedlovestories.com. Now, if this episode encouraged you, would you just share this with one person at least that you know is waiting on God and wondering if their story will [00:57:00] ever happen?

Your share could be the very encouragement that they need today. And if you haven’t already, please, would you subscribe s- so that you never miss an episode? Because every love story that we share is unique and reminds us that hope is never wasted. I hope your heart feels lighter and full of hope after hearing this story, because you know often the best love stories are the ones we never saw coming.

So keep your heart open, because love truly is waiting for you. We’ll see you next time. Bye.