September 5, 2007

"Two are better than one because they have a good reward for their efforts. For if either falls, his companion can lift him up; but pity the one who falls without another to lift him up." Eccl. 4:9, 10

Six years ago this Friday a very miraculous thing happened. It was a real GOD thing! As I think back to that day, I have often wondered "what if?" What if my daughter had left school that day just a little earlier or a little later? What if he had not forgotten important papers and had to turn around and go back home? What if she had not gotten sleepy at the wheel and stopped way before she normally did? What if he had not persisted in calling her cell phone to the point he got out of one car and into another just so he could change phones and catch her off guard with a strange number? What if she had hung up on him?? What if.....indeed!

On that monumental day that started out as normally as any other day, two lives and two families were forever changed. All in God's PERFECT timing! You see THAT day, He brought together in a set of bizarre circumstances that only He, the author of the perfect love story, could orchestrate...one boy and one girl. And now, six years later they are celebrating their FIFTH wedding anniversary!!!! GOD IS SO GOOD!!!

God wrote a love story that would put Hollywood in the dust! But then, why not? HE is the author of love! He wrote the book on love!

One instrument He used in this love story was a book by Eric and Leslie Ludy, entitled "When God Writes Your Love Story". This book challenged our daughter to give God the pen and allow Him to write her love story. She chose to do that and what a love story He wrote!

We had prayed since she was born for the man she would one day marry. I had a lot of different requests that I prayed for this "Mr. Right". I also prayed for our son the same way and the woman who would one day become "Mrs. Right". I believe God has honored those prayers because we have been blessed with both a precious son-in-love and a wonderful daughter-in-love. I do not take these blessings for granted. I treasure these two young people God has brought into our family and I thank Him for each of them!!!

As wonderful as it was to see our daughter fall in love with this handsome young man; as grateful as I am for the prayers God has answered in him, I am not foolish enough to think that a great love story automatically has a happy ending. Marriage statistics are dismal at best. No marriage, no matter how godly, no matter how happy at the outset, is exempt from the fiery darts that Satan hurls at them daily. He seeks to "steal, to kill and to destroy" and he will use every weapon in his arsenal to accomplish that feat!

When the wedding bells have silenced, the honeymoon glow has faded, the make-up comes off and the pounds come on, when the bills begin piling up, the tires go flat on the car, the washer over flows and the baby cries all night, you forget all about the "love story". That's when the COMMITMENT comes in and the real nitty gritty of LIFE must be faced with all the determination of a general at war! Good marriages don't JUST HAPPEN. They are birthed on the bended knees of prayer. Prayers of the couple themselves and the prayers of the ones who love them and want to see them succeed at this wonderful adventure called MARRIAGE!

To our precious daughter and son-in-love....I say to you both HAPPY ANNIVERSARY (early) !! We love you and we are praying for you....always!!!!! God bless your special day!