It’s common knowledge that people leave love locks in Paris. People, as in couples. Of course, I only seem to visit Paris when I’m single and solo—but I haven’t let that stop me from leaving a love lock each time.

I may be fiercely independent, but I’m also a hopeful romantic. While I refuse to wait till there’s a guy in my life to explore the world, I also couldn’t visit a lovebird mecca like Paris and NOT make a grand gesture for my future Mr. TBD.

On my first trip to Paris, back in January 2017, I left a lock on a park fence near the Eiffel Tower—a lock on which I wrote the words “Me & You.” Once I figure out who “You” is, he gets the key. That’s the plan. The grand gesture that I hope he’ll find both sappy and sweet.

Naturally, I had to check on that lock during my second visit to Paris in December 2018. Since I’d left it in an unconventional spot on a random fence, I wasn’t certain it’d still be there… and, sure enough, it was gone. I’m still saving the key for Mr. TBD, though!

There’s also now a new lock in Paris for my future love. This one, I left on an actual love locks bridge, Passerelle Leopold-Sedar-Senghor, so I’m hopeful it’ll still be around for my third visit to the City of Lights… someday. On the front, I drew a heart with an arrow, and on the back, I wrote: “You & Me” this time. There’s no key for this one, but I did create a custom combination that I’m only gonna share with TBD dude.

So, now he gets a key and a combo!

And, well, I thought that was the end of my love lock story for the time being. But then…

Several weeks after my last trip to Europe, while walking and talking with God, I thought of the love lock. The new one I’d left on the bridge. And, it hit me. I didn’t give the lock to God. I didn’t acknowledge that the “You & Me” is first and foremost “God & Me.”

You see, a while back, I decided to officially let God write my love story. For a girl who constantly wants to grab the pen and write my own plotline, it’s a daily lesson in trust. But I know that He is the true love of my life. The only One I ever truly need. Do I want to experience life with the future love of my life? Yesssss. Do I need to? No. So if I get to someday—if God writes a Mr. TBD into my story—it will be a sweet privilege. A true gift. An extension of God’s love for me.

So yeah. I’m daily giving God the pen. But giving Him the lock seriously hadn’t occurred to me until that walk after my trip. It was both a lightbulb moment and one of those Whoops! I’m sorry, God! realizations.

My trips to Paris may have been solo, but I wasn’t alone. It was me AND God. It’s always me and God. My heart belongs to Him, so it’s only fitting that both locks represent that love, first and always.

God willing, I’ll still give Mr. TBD the first lock’s key and second lock’s secret combo someday. He’ll just have to share the locks—and my love—with God. And, while I don’t know who he is, I do know one thing about him: he won’t have a problem with that.