Twenty six years ago I could not have imagined the extent of God’s graciousness and blessing that would encompass our family. As I anticipated my marriage that would take place in only a few hours, I was thankful for the beginning of a new start for my three children and me. Having raised them alone for the last five years I was definitely ready for a partner in life. Certainly the fact that a God-fearing man had taken notice of myself and the kids was truly amazing in itself. We had the ugly mark of divorce in our past, rejection. We collectively had nothing of resource value to offer and actually came with considerable financial debt and scarred emotions of abandonment and distrust in others. But, here we were getting ready for a union that could only come from God. In a few hours, I was to marry a man who sincerely loved me and desired to be a daddy to my three young children. I was head-over-heals in love with this guy whom I viewed as a direct, personal gift from God! I had been challenged years earlier to concentrate on my love for God and to seek to grow in trust and knowledge and understanding of His love for me. As I did so, the desires of my heart were met in Him and I now found myself preparing to walk down the aisle into the arms of a husband I couldn’t have hoped for in my wildest dreams. I believed I was living a modern fairy tale but this was not at all make-believe, it was God-directed and real time happening!
Ps 37:4-5 Delight yourself in the LORD; and He will give you the desires of your heart. 5 Commit your way to the LORD, Trust also in Him, and He will do it.
I am one hundred percent convinced that God is real, He is faithful, and He is compassionate knowing what we truly need to live a life honoring to His name. His grace in our lives is abundant as He desires to bless His children. The failure comes on our part. Our selfishness, our lack of trust, our weak faith, our feeling of deservedness, our impatience in waiting upon His plan and timing.
As we wait on God, we are to delight ourselves in Him. We are to commit our ways unto Him. We are to trust Him.
delight <anag> to be soft or pliable
delight: a feeling of extreme pleasure or satisfaction WordWeb
commit <galal> to roll, remove, run down, seek occasion, trust
commit: use entirely for a specific person, activity, or cause; confer a trust upon WordWeb
trust <batach> to hasten for refuge, be confident or sure, secure
trust: have confidence or faith in; expect; allow without fear WordWeb
Look at those three words closely.
Delight. Commit. Trust.
Even modern day fairy tales or we should call this a God-Story instead, have villains, troubles, challenges and even down-right cling to the edge of your seat scary moments. The last twenty-six years have been full of good adventures, difficult seasons, and terrifying moments. Tears and laughter have claimed their place. Negative emotions such as confusion and even anger have wrestled with our thoughts. There has been success and failure plenty. We have experienced exciting addition to our family in weddings and births and heart-wrenching loss in illness and death. But, all has been carried in His tender love and grace for us as we have looked to our Father in Heaven for guidance and care.
Delight. Even when it’s difficult, when it’s the last thing we feel like expressing. Where else can true delight come from but God? All else is fleeting. Just think of momentary delights that enter your mind. What do they all have in common? There is One who is lasting, unchanging, forever offers joy.
Ps 102:26-27 "Even they will perish, but Thou dost endure; and all of them will wear out like a garment; like clothing Thou wilt change them, and they will be changed. "But Thou art the same, and Thy years will not come to an end.
Jer 15:16 Thy words were found and I ate them, and Thy words became for me a joy and the delight of my heart; For I have been called by Thy name, O LORD God of hosts.
Commit. Even when something else looks easier or more enjoyable. Seek God in all things, for every good desire to be met in His will. This means choosing to take our eyes of the world and its pleasures and focusing on God who gives all things good to those who love and follow Him. How difficult is this? Sometimes very. But necessary and valuable. Why? Because in Him is true happiness and fulfillment.
Isa 58:11 "And the LORD will continually guide you, and satisfy your desire in scorched places, and give strength to your bones; and you will be like a watered garden, and like a spring of water whose waters do not fail.
Trust. Even when it seems impossible. Even when understanding is unimaginable. Run to the One who protects your heart from the onslaught of wrong thinking that comes from worldly explanations. God’s ways rarely seem right to a perverted, sinful world. Have confidence in Him who has created you. Claim absolute hope in His plan for your future.
Ps 115:11 You who fear the LORD, trust in the LORD; He is their help and their shield.
Ps 118:8 It is better to take refuge in the LORD Than to trust in man.
Pr 3:5-6 Trust in the LORD with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding. 6 In all your ways acknowledge Him, and He will make your paths straight.
So here we are, twenty-six crazy, amazing, wonderful, challenging, memorable years later! Blessed beyond the imaginings of our wildest dreams. Sharing a love as husband and wife that is centered on Christ. This is certain because we have aged and still look at each other with stars in our eyes!! The outside is beginning to take its toll of time. When I Iook at my husband I see his heart, a man who is wholly devoted to God, the God I love and trust more than anything in this world. True beauty absolutely lies within a person. We have challenges and struggles like everyone else but view them as God’s continued work in our lives. God has added three additional children to our lives through marriage and He has given us the enjoyment of five grandchildren on this earth and three grandchildren in heaven whom we are confident we will meet one day. Sadly, three of our parents have passed away; my Dad we know for certain is enjoying Jesus in heaven and a dance in heaven was promised to me before Dad died. Retirement, Medicare and social security are now familiar terms in our household along with the names Mina and Poppa! I pulled out a Christmas ornament from 1989 that had the names of myself and my three children on it. How our family has grown: from four to thirteen (sixteen with our three angels in heaven)!
God’s ‘story’ in all of our lives is one that has the potential of bringing honor and glory to Him as we concentrate on delighting our hearts in His ways, committing our thoughts and actions to His truth and trusting in His perfect plan and timing of all circumstances. This is not a sprint, it’s a marathon, literally (26.2miles)! Twenty-six years ago, my God-Story with my wonderful husband began. I pray it is God’s will to allow us to continue to run hard for many more years as we seek to serve Him. Happy Anniversary to my most marvelous gift, my Sweetheart, Rick!
Ps 37:4-5 Delight yourself in the LORD; and He will give you the desires of your heart. 5 Commit your way to the LORD, Trust also in Him, and He will do it.
