Woman gets the husband she prayed for
At age 18, Shannon Cobran had no idea that the man she was introduced to at her birthday party would one day become the husband she prayed for.
"I wasn't even paying attention to him at first," Cobran admitted to THE STAR. But fate had its way, and years later, Cobran and Rojay McGowan are a shining example of a young couple who cement their love through faith.
They first crossed paths in 2016, introduced by McGowan's brother.
"The first time I met him, I didn't think anything of it," Cobran shared. But when she saw him again at her cousin's birthday party, her perspective shifted.
"I saw him looking more mature, and I thought, 'Hmm, not bad,'" she said. Even then, she never imagined marriage. "I had a crush, but I wasn't thinking that far ahead."
The two started talking after Cobran's whispered confession of her crush was passed along, and feelings blossomed. But their journey wasn't without challenges.
"We separated in September 2016 but got back together in 2017," Cobran recalled but also noting that they share a daughter together.
Fast forward to April 13, 2023 on their daughter's fifth birthday, when McGowan made a grand gesture that took her by surprise.
"We were at a dinner for my baby's birthday, and my family was there," Cobran said. "I had prayed to God about getting married at 26, and right there, he asked me to be his wife. I was in shock. It was exactly what I prayed for."
For McGowan, the decision to propose wasn't just about love - it was also about timing and faith.
"It felt like an ordained thing from God," he shared. "Every time something happened, God was in the midst of it and we would just recover."
Cobran admitted that before they became Christians, disagreements could last for weeks.
"Now, with God at the centre, we communicate better and solve issues faster. We pray for our love to grow and for understanding in our marriage," she said. McGowan agreed, adding that their spiritual journey has made him a better partner.
"Communication has improved, and our love is growing stronger. For young men, I'd say you have to seek God and let Him guide you. Don't lean on your own understanding or listen to what your friend them have to say," he said. Cobran's advice to women waiting on love is simple: "Pray and have faith."
"Don't take it into your own hands or lean on your understanding. Believe that it will happen and let God do it for you," she said.
Their wedding day was a beautiful picture of their love story. Despite the jitters, Cobran described it as a dream come true.
"The morning of the wedding, I started sweating everywhere," she laughed. "But walking down that aisle, I knew this was what I had prayed for." McGowan summed it up best: "It was a day to remember. I became a man that day."