We spent hours getting ready.  Everyone looked wonderful, but there was one that shined brighter than the rest: sweet Heather.  Today, she would be dressed in dazzled layers of white lace, for today was the day she would be married.

She and Ryan met nearly two years earlier at a wedding where they were both in the bridal party.   Heather got away with the best man!  Their story is as extraordinary as Heather and Ryan themselves.  It was crazy—Ryan moved to Virginia for Heather only a little while after they started dating.  I swear, one could make quite a grand movie after their love story.  God was in the midst of their relationship from the beginning, and that was prevalent at the wedding.

Once we finished getting ready, we bridesmaids gathered around Heather and were able to pray for Heather and Ryan’s marriage.  It was such a sweet, intimate moment with the woman who asked us to take part of her special day.  Then it was time for the ceremony to begin.  Ryan and the groomsmen were ready and looking snazzy as we walked before Heather.  She looked exquisite when she came down the isle, absolutely breathtaking.   The pastor shared an excellent message from Colossians 3 with the couple and guests, and then Heather and Ryan partook in communion for the first time as a couple.  After that, the parents of the bride and groom along with the bridal party were invited to join Heather and Ryan on the stage.  Six of us had the honor of praying over the couple together.

The wedding was sweet, intimate, and fun.  The entire day filled with joy, laughing, the happiest of tears, and covered in prayer.  The reception continued the celebration with breakfast—part of their first date—dancing, and an aurora of excitement.

Being a part of that sweet, glorious day was inspirational.  Heather and Ryan were an incredible, living example of what love and marriage was designed to be.  A man and woman joined together in the presence of God—bringing complete glory to Him throughout their entire relationship, apart and together.  Their commitment to Christ prevailed throughout the ceremony as they entered into a holy union.  The friendships of family and loved ones showed the community of believers joining together to share the joy of an honorable covenant.  It was a sincere picture of the church, overflowing with love and unity.

He kissed the soft cheek of his baby girl goodnight.  He had a long day; things were tough for Dad at work and coming home to an energetic four-year-old is exhausting.  But he loved it–his family was his world.

He had a caring wife and daughter he adored.  Even though his work day was burdensome, he could come home and almost forget the chaos when his lovely wife and precious daughter jumped into his arms.

The little girl loved her daddy.  He was kind and smart and brave and loved Mommy more than anything in the world.  She loved being in the embrace of her father, sitting in his lap, being tossed in the air knowing that he would catch her.  She was safe and secure with her arms wrapped around Daddy’s neck.

That’s why on that particular night she called out to him when she was afraid.

“Daddy!” she cried, “Daddy, the dark—it scares me.”  But he didn’t fear the dark or become angry with his daughter.  Instead, he comforted her and stayed with her until she felt safe.  He might not have feared the darkness, but he empathized with her, even though it was silly to fear a dark room.  After all, his and Mommy’s bedroom was right next door.  He was right there.

There are parts of our adult life that are dark, that scare us.  “What am I supposed to do when I graduate?” “Will my kids turn out okay?” “Will I be able to find a job?” “What happens when _____,” and the list goes on.  Each question accompanied by fear and distress.  We fear the dark parts of our life: the unknown, the uncertain, the ambivalent.  We fear the things we cannot know—that which we think we must know.

But darkness in our lives is a form of protection, an opportunity to grow and let go of our own agenda.  The psalmist wrote “even darkness is not dark to You; the night is bright as the day, for darkness is as light with You” Psalm 139:12.  The next time you’re in bed, pondering the shadows of the days to come, remember that your future is not dark to God.  He keeps you safe, and this darkness does not exist to Him.  When we can’t see anything, He sees.  He sees your dreams and your dreads.  It is not hidden from Him.

Trust in Him. “A man’s steps are from the LORD; how then can man understand his way?” Proverb 20:24. That’s the beauty; we don’t have to comprehend His thoughts (Isaiah 55:9).

There will be times when we are without understanding—embrace the lack of knowledge and grow in the One who will carry you through it all.

For Further Reading:

I Peter 5:7

II Timothy 1:7

Deuteronomy 31:6

Proverbs 3:5-6

Psalm 55:22

With my whole heart I seek You; let me not wander from Your commandments!  I have stored up Your word in my heart, that I might not sin against You.

Psalm 119:10-11

We pursue God because He pursued us first (I John 4:19).

This makes me think of the rebellious teenager, unwilling to listen to his parents.  All the while, the parents are trying to show their son what is best for him.  If their son only understood what they saw, perhaps he would not rebel against them.

He gives wisdom and understanding, but these we must seek out (Proverb 3:13).  When we search to understand the Lord, His commandments will be greeted with understanding.  Our goal should be to bring glory and honor to our gracious Savior and King.  The reason we study His word is to grow closer to Him and to continue to bring Him glory.  Why would we want to live in conflict against someone who loves us so much?

There is no right or wrong apart from Him, and thus trying to discern morality from oneself becomes a forlorn endeavor.

For Further Reading:

Colossians 3:16

Proverb 1:7

Psalm 119:105

Romans 15:4

Matthew 22:29

Then you shall call, and the LORD will answer; you shall cry, and He will say “Here I am.” If you take away the yoke from your midst, the pointing of the finger, and speaking wickedness

Isaiah 58:9

He sets us free from the bondage of our transgression (John 8:36).  Our God speaks, He is active and unchanging, He works His mercies in our lives and tells us how He wants us to live.  He gives us expectations, and, above all, He cares for our hearts.  In the Old Testament, He gave man guidelines, and in the New Testament, He testifies that laws cannot pierce the heart.  No, the Law was given in order that we might know sin (Romans 7:7-12).

Our God is not silent, but He is with us.  We can end the corruption because of His power, and when we are blameless before Him, He will answer us.  Even when He seems hushed, God declares that He is the there.  If you let Him set you free, you will begin to know His ways.

For Further Reading:

I John 5:14-15

Hebrews 11:6

Micah 3:4

II Chronicles 7:14

Psalm 107:28-30

Let not steadfast love and faithfulness forsake you; bind them around your neck; write them

 on the tablet of your heart.  Then will you obtain favor from the LORD

Proverbs 3:3-4

                  We want to love, and we want to be loved by others.  When we are not shown the love we think we deserve, we become distraught.  Our expectations of how someone aught to love us are what cause us the most harm. But that’s the secret about love; you have to keep it.

This is the will of God: to guard love and faithfulness.  To live in communion with those He has placed in your life.  To honor Him and His saints and to allow yourself to be loved.  If we do not bind love, we will lose it.  We must show, give, and appreciate the love that has been given to us while there is still time.  And this—this—is what gives us favor.

Isaiah 43:5 reads “you are precious in my eyes, and honored, and I love you,” God wants you to know that you are loved, and you are cherished.  You are enough because He made you enough.  God has placed specific people in your life who show you His love, but it is your job to receive that love.  We must cling to that love and remember the faithfulness in it.

God is gracious enough to place people in our lives to help us understand the value that He has given us.  This is not a suggestion; it is a command.  Let those around you love you.

For further reading:

I John 4:7

John 13:35

Romans 8:38-39

Romans 12:9

Ephesians 4:2

Her husband died.  Then, after that, her two sons died.  She was left, and she was broken.

But she wasn’t alone.

She was a stranger in the town that she once lived, but after all her tragedy she decided to go back to her place of origin: Bethlehem.  Her name was Naomi, meaning pleasant.  So we’re told, one of her daughter-in-laws, a new widow, “clung to her.”

This is the story begins near 930 BC with two women who lost everything that they loved, and left what they were familiar with behind.  This is the tale of Ruth and Naomi, but the story is so much more than just that

Left alone, Naomi would be forced to become a beggar–there would be little chance for survival–she had no reason to hope.  But Ruth would not leave her.  Staying with Naomi meant becoming a beggar.  It meant that, for the rest of her life, Ruth would be living meagerly praying that she could eat at the end of the day.  If she chose to leave Naomi, she was young and could possibly get remarried and have a secure future.  They both knew the situation was dire.  They had nothing to hope for.

But they remained faithful.

In the midst of their pain and despair, God said wait.  He does not disregard our pain.

Naomi became an aggrieved woman, even calling herself Mara (meaning “bitter”), but the Lord still took care of her.  God redeemed them out of great sorrow; Ruth married Boaz and was able to take care of Naomi.  Without the events that caused them despondency, they never would have experienced the love and joy that they were blessed with.

When you are in the heart of waiting and the situation seems hopeless, we must remember that it takes time.  My cherished friend, Gabi , has constantly been reminding me of Psalm 84:11, that “the LORD will withhold no good thing from those who walk uprightly.”  You may not know what you are hoping for, but we know to Whom we are hoping in.  He is the “compassionate and gracious God, slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love and faithfulness” (Exodus 34:6).

So, when the situation is ominous and your soul is in anguish, wait faithfully.  Cry out to God, knowing that He will act.  Be faithful to trust in Him.  Humble yourself and realize that His plan is better than the plans spiraling in your mind.  Like Naomi, you are not alone.  God has placed many in your life; do not shut them out when the conditions appear hopeless.  Allow others to love you, and do not take their love for-granted.

Love as He loves, and when your hopes become fragmented, know that He does not waste your pain.

For Further Reading:

Ruth

Jeremiah 29:11-14

Proverb 19:12

Matthew 6:25-34

Psalm 138:8

Deuteronomy 31:6