Mark and I celebrated our 23rd anniversary. We have had an amazing marriage thanks to God bringing us together and we have kept Him a big part of our lives. It wasn't always that way though.
When we were dating we decided we wanted to live together before we were married, much to the chagrin of our parents. I wish we had waited to live together because with our decision came many times of feeling shame.
So, when our oldest daughter came to us and said she wanted to move in with her fiance', we were less than thrilled. We didn't give her a long lecture or shake our fingers at her. We simply told her she is an adult and she is old enough to make her own decisions. We reminded her how we felt and how God felt, but told her we would love her no matter what she decided. We didn't want to shame her. God isn't about shame.
What they did next surprised Mark and I! They sat down with us several weeks later and told us they wanted to get married early. They were planning to keep their original wedding date of June 30th, but wanted to sign the papers and take their vows early. Unfortunately, my first thought was not the reason they had come to this decision. So why? They said they wanted to be right before God! What!? Talk about going against the grain of society! We hadn't expected this but were very humbled they had come to this decision. They said they didn't want to feel shame for living together and knew it wasn't the way God wanted their life together to start.
Wow! We were so happy to see them make such an adult decision. As my brother put it, "They are making a decision that puts them ahead of many couples who have been married for years."
So, on October 19th, (a Thursday) our sweet daughter married Tim through lots of tears of joy. There was just a handful of people there. Above all and most importantly, God was there and I bet He had tears of joy as well.
It was simple, sweet and only took about 15 minutes. There was not a party after. We all went our own way, but this was not for us. It was for God!
Mark and I left there feeling peace! We met a few of the people that had been around them while they made this decision. They had a mentor couple and other college age friends who had been praying for them for months before this day. We got the blessing of seeing these people love on them first hand.
I will never forget this day! God opened my eyes to see what I was not seeing in my daughter......a God fearing young lady.
We are blessed beyond measure and we know without a doubt that God is going to be with them each and every step of the way. Through good times and the bad, for richer or for poorer, in sickness and in health, and even after death parts them.
Happy Clicking!
Remembrance Photography by Terri
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