Chris Tomlin made music for years before meeting his future wife. In 2008 — well into his career as a primetime worship artist — he relocated from Texas to Atlanta, Georgia, where he launched Passion City Church with friend Louie Giglio (via The Atlanta-Journal Constitution). It was in Atlanta that Chris met Lauren Tomlin through a mutual friend – though the two had a rocky start to their relationship. As Lauren explained to Called Magazine, Chris wasn't ready to commit.
Mutual friend Christy Nockels, however, felt strongly that the two were meant for each other. She explained on her podcast, "The Glorious in the Mundane," how she intervened. "Behind the scenes," Nockels said, "I became a little bit like Jiminy Cricket on Chris's shoulder, quietly and kindly suggesting, like his little conscience, that she was still the one for him."
Chris didn't have a great excuse for his part in stalling the relationship. He explained that when he met Lauren, he was still exploring his new surroundings. "Most men always want to keep their options open," he told Called Magazine. "I was dragging my feet a little bit. For a lot of guys, it takes losing something to appreciate what you had." Thankfully, Chris realized how important Lauren was to him. She recalled in the same interview, "A year later, we reconnected by divine circumstances. From there, it was a quick sprint to the altar!"
