Faithful Love, Shared Journey
- Gary PWK
- Mar 26
- 6 min read
A conversation with Joshua and Mirabel Goh on love, marriage, and choosing to walk life together.
A quiet story about two people learning what it means to build a life side by side.
The afternoon began quietly inside the halls of the Singapore National Gallery.
We had gathered there for a Made In His Image portrait session. Joshua and Mirabel Goh, together with Elaine Abigail, had kindly agreed to be part of the project. Eliane had also shared a short portrait reflection for Made In His Image on Instagram. What began as a simple photoshoot slowly turned into something more relaxed as the four of us started talking and walking through the gallery together.
Before the shoot that day, I had learned that Joshua and Mirabel had been married for about a year.
It was a small detail in conversation, but it quietly shaped the afternoon. In a time when many people feel uncertain about marriage or wonder whether it is still necessary, their journey together invited a deeper reflection about love and commitment.
By the time we made our way to Fort Canning Park, the day had taken on a different rhythm. Conversations flowed easily, and the atmosphere felt less like a portrait session and more like an afternoon spent among new friends.
As we walked through the park, Joshua began sharing stories about the history of the place. What I had expected to be a simple stroll became an unexpected tour. He spoke with such familiarity and enthusiasm that it felt as though we had our own personal guide leading us through the layers of Singapore’s past. Elaine was clearly enjoying the stories as well, adding her own bits of knowledge about soldiers and the history of the place.
We eventually ended the day with dinner at the MUJI Café, a place I would usually avoid because of the long queues and crowds. Yet that evening felt different. The conversations had grown easy, and somewhere between the photographs and the walk through the park, the afternoon had quietly turned into the beginning of a friendship.
Listening to Joshua and Mirabel speak about their journey together, I began to realise that their story was not simply about marriage itself, but about the quiet decision to walk life together.
So I asked them about love, marriage, and the journey they had begun together.
Beginning of the Journey
1. For someone meeting you for the first time, how would you each describe the season of life you are in right now?
Both:
Unlearning and relearning. On repeat mode!
2. How did the two of you first meet, and what first drew you to one another?
Joshua:
We were co-facilitators for a youth group in a programme conducted for a secondary school. Mirabel was a staff member, and I was a volunteer.
Her patience and heart towards the youths and volunteers caught my attention.
Mirabel:
His bright bandana! Haha. Over the years, it was his sincere heart towards God that left a deeper impression.
Before Marriage
3. Before you met each other, what were your thoughts about love and marriage?
Joshua:
I had always yearned to be in a relationship that would eventually lead to marriage. I wanted the marriage to be one where we love each other and serve others.
Mirabel:
God bringing two individuals together to serve and love Him and people. This has always been my prayer about marriage.
4. Was there a moment when you realised this relationship might become something deeper?
Joshua:
Nothing happened when we were still serving together in the youth organisation. It was only after we reconnected, after a meeting at Mirabel’s place, that I began to be drawn to her. God divinely placed an attraction in my heart towards her.
Mirabel:
I am someone who needs a lot of assurance from God about what’s next. The first confirmation from Joshua that he was serious about pursuing me and bringing our relationship to the next step nearly freaked me out. I mean, commitment and trust in people for the long haul is not always easy for me.
God showed me the sight of a pair of eagles soaring heavenwards three times, to help me take faith in moving forward. It was a picture of partnership, not losing sight of each other, while relying on the strength of His Spirit to lift us up and support us.
Choosing Marriage
5. Many people today feel uncertain about marriage, or feel they do not need it. What led both of you to choose marriage as part of your journey together?
Joshua:
I guess both of us had always had a biblical view of marriage. We believe that a romantic relationship cannot be left in limbo without an end goal in mind. So we dated with marriage in mind.
6. When you think about that decision now, what did it represent to you personally?
Mirabel:
The beginning of a journey of more hair pulling — not my own hair, but his!
(Does his hair look lesser after a year of marriage??)
Joshua:
It was an act of faith. Even though there was uncertainty, we took the step with courage, knowing that we have God to back us up.
The First Year
7. You have now been married for about a year. What has surprised you the most about married life?
Joshua:
It amplifies what you have not come to terms with before marriage!
Mirabel:
To be very honest, married life is harder than I imagined. We bring in years of different lived experiences, while both learning very new roles called husband and wife. And there is the constant project management titled “New family, New home.”
My easiest moments are when I close both eyes and pretend I don’t see things I don’t want to see. Haha.
8. What have you discovered about each other that perhaps you did not fully see before marriage?
Mirabel:
That our thinking styles and ways of managing things are more contrasted than we thought. We are still working on having better synergy in these.
Joshua:
Our fierce sense of independence that needs to be adjusted as we learn to depend on each other.
Seeing Each Other
Joshua, what is something about Mirabel that you admire deeply?
Joshua:
Her deep love for the people around her. She goes out of her way to love them.
⸻
Mirabel, what is something about Joshua that you appreciate more now than when you first met?
Mirabel:
Joshua has an amazing tenacity for what he believes in and wants to work on. I think that is a result of his steadfastness in loving God and listening to His voice.
Faith & Love
9. Both of you share a life of faith and ministry. How has faith shaped the way you understand love and commitment?
Joshua:
Faith is the anchor that grounds us and the glue that binds us.
Mirabel:
We can never fully meet each other’s needs. Only God can. So when I struggle with Joshua’s needs, and vice versa, we both know we can run to the Father for help. Since He created each of us, He fully understands us.
10. Mirabel, as someone who dances in worship, does movement or expression through dance influence how you experience faith or relationships?
Mirabel:
Dance expresses my devotion and wordless groans to God. It is also a tool I use to pray for people.
What Love Has Taught You
11. Over the past year, what has marriage taught you about love?
Joshua:
It is a continuous cycle of sacrifice and forgiveness.
12. What has it taught you about yourselves?
Joshua:
That we are more than capable of stepping out of our comfort zones for each other.
Mirabel:
And that can only stem from a commitment to stay and to love. I see that we rub on each other’s heart of commitment when our actions and words reflect that. It is a very intentional and humbling journey of its own.
We both know these things are impossible without God who first loved us. Jesus Himself has never let us go in our individual lives as well as in our marriage. We are letting Him renew our hearts daily. We learn from Jesus.
Hope & Reflection
13. Some people today hesitate to marry, whether from fear, independence, or uncertainty. What would you say to someone who feels unsure about marriage?
Joshua:
The struggle is real, but take the plunge anyway. The growth is real, but so is the joy.
Closing
14. As you look at this season of your life together, what are you most grateful for?
Both:
That there is someone whom we can do life with. We do not have to fight life’s battles alone.
Made In His Image
You are made perfectly. Loved deeply. Never beyond hope.
Visit the Made In His Image project at: madeinhisimage.life
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