Stealing Memes; Finding Love

Sharon McCoy
Mar 1
5 min read

Our Love Story

“Once upon a time” may seem cliché, but there are no coincidences with God. You’re looking for a meme one minute, and the next, you’re married!

We were raised on different continents and faced our share of trauma, poverty, systemic oppression, disappointments, healing, and spiritual renewal. We both loved God, and throughout our lives, we experienced moments when strangers would have sudden spiritual awakenings and share a word explicitly meant for us.

I had prayed that whoever God had created for me would see me in their dreams. Meanwhile, I had spent years dating, pursuing, and embarrassing myself over men—none of whom were attractive. One had triple D-sized breasts. Another was my height... on his good leg. I’m 5’1”.

Navigating singleness? I was on my own. The church didn’t help, except to terrify me about sex before marriage. I learned that sex meant soul ties, STDs, unplanned pregnancies, expulsion from ministries, and a lifetime seat in the “Fell into Sin” section. But I had other things to work out....dating seriously wasn’t one of them.

During my time of singleness, I focused on personal growth. After leaving a cult I had been a part of for 36 years, I dedicated myself to gaining life skills, earning three degrees, and continuing my teaching career. I was on a journey of self-discovery and healing, and I was content with where I was. Who had time for dating?

Eventually, I fell in love with myself and thought that was my happy ending. Maybe... it was a little. I traveled throughout the UK, exploring London, enjoying the British seaside, and taking trips to Spain. I fell in love with traveling alone, and most importantly, I fell in love with the person I was becoming.

Moving to the UK for work, I quickly realized that African American women were highly appreciated here! They loved us, and I loved that for me. I was outside, enjoying life. Meanwhile, I was figuring out what to do with my social media since my job restricted political content (#HatchAct).

The Unexpected Connection

It was in this unexpected place that I found a community that would change my life.

I was dating around but not taking anything seriously. Then, a man messaged me after visiting my Facebook page. He wanted to be my friend. I’m friendly—sure, let’s talk.

That night, we chatted, and he sent me his music. It was beautiful. Coming from a musical family, I sent him my brother’s music in return. After returning from Spain, we kept talking and eventually started video chatting—I needed to confirm he was real. Not only was he honest, but he was also handsome. This was new for me. I had never dated a beautiful man. We continued talking for a month, and I thought about him more, deleting and blocking other men. It was clear—God was making space for the one He had chosen for me.

Initially, I watched Rotimi’s church service to see if he attended. Sure enough, he was at the front leading worship.

One day, during our conversation, he said, “I thought I was crazy when I first saw your picture. You looked like a woman from my dream.” At that moment, I remembered my prayer, asking God to place me in my future husband’s dreams. I played it cool, but I needed confirmation.

A few days later, I told him about my prayer. He was amazed. Then, it got even crazier. While showing him pictures of my family, he suddenly reacted to a picture of my dad. He hesitated and said, “You’re gonna think I’m crazy, but God already showed me your dad in a dream.”

I was stunned. I called my best friend, Shai. Also, before I met my husband, my brother had a spiritual encounter where God gave him a vision of me getting married. A few weeks later, I met Rotimi.

I never let my emotions take control. I had worked hard on my mental health and refused to go backward. I asked God to remove Rotimi if he wasn’t my husband. I had no internal battles—just peace.

Divine Confirmation

Finally, we talked. We acknowledged our feelings but remained cautious. We still hadn’t met in person—everything had been video chats and texts.

I went to every altar call, seeking clarity. One day, a woman of God looked me in the eyes and said, “Sis, you know what to do!” She was right. I was used to God’s no but experienced His yes this time.

My husband casually talks about killing king cobras and black mambas while working as an electrician. Meanwhile, I believe anything longer than an earthworm is a python. I am petrified of snakes. The way he talks, you’d think he was swatting flies. This man is built differently!

I attended my new church’s Anniversary Sunday, showing up woefully underdressed. I went forward to healing from diabetes. The prophet looked at me and said, “It’s time for you to stop playing and get married. There’s more for you to do.” His words shook me out of the complacency I had started easing into. I had just asked God for wisdom about Rotimi. I knew I was going to marry him.

Three days after our first in-person meeting, I became his wife. It was a testament to the power of divine timing, a concept I had always believed in and now experienced firsthand.

Becoming a Naija Wife

Today, I am a Naija wife. I love Nigerian fashion. Right now, my marriage consists of me sending screenshots of Ankara fashion to my husband and him sending them to his designer. They send him ideas for matching shoes. When I go to Nigeria, I feel like a Queen trying on things custom-made for me in Yoruba print fabrics.

This was a monumental moment in my faith journey. I’m proud of myself for seeking God, drawing closer to Him, and hearing His voice. I didn’t chase people’s opinions—God placed the right people in my life who prayed with me and helped guide me to Him.

Mary pondered things in her heart because sometimes God does something so unconventional in your life that people could easily talk you out of it. But God gave Mary a calling and sent her to Elizabeth—someone specifically chosen to confirm what He was doing.

I appreciate the “Elizabeths” in my life.