Toast

J☺y & D☺n,
It’s wedding week … again … how’d that happen?

My hand shoots straight up in the air, like an overzealous high school student. I know, I know, I know … pick me, pick me, I know the answer to the question!

The answer is time ... and the dad-blasted marching it always seems to do.
If I could save time in a bottle, I'd do my darndest to cram this day into an old fashioned Ball jar, clamp the lid tight, and capture each and every memory for you.

A couple of verses come to mind when I think of  your life’s journey. One is Psalm 119:105 which says: Thy word is a lamp unto my feet, and a light unto my path. (Sometimes you just gotta recite the the ‘ole King James Version) 

I’m pretty sure when this verse was penned, Duracell batteries, and Mag flashlights had not been invented. Nor were there ginormous searchlights, or even the ever-warning beam of old fashioned lighthouses. The lantern of biblical proportions was, in all reality, a diminutive flame that could only beam a few steps down the path. 

If you could have seen ahead of time, the struggle, the heartache, and the outcome of the twists and turns in your journey, I’m positive you would have chosen to travel all roads leading to this happy family place called now.
You’ve pushed, persevered and stayed true to your creator;  all the while pulling, sometimes towing, and praying your children along with you.
My mental picture of you is like the mother sitting on the beach or trapsing through an amusement park, while her kids enjoy the day.  Always with a watchful eye, darting back and forth, counting heads. Keeping your eye on the baby! Holding out a protective hand, and gently whispering, sometimes crying, “Please, stay close.”

When the storms came, you adjusted your direction, stayed the course, and hung on for dear life. Others would have quit the race long before the going got as tough as yours.
And while we’re on a nautical theme here; Your 2nd mate became the anchor, rock, dad, and soul mate, lovingly designed by God to fit perfectly into all your lives. Good job, Don!

The 2nd verse that comes to mind and has faithfully proclaimed it’s truth, while silently broadcasting from the upstairs doorpost of the farmhouse: Trust in the LORD with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding.  In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths. Proverbs 3:5&6 KJV, of course.

As you celebrate with your family this week-end, I wish you nothing but happiness and tender moments. As vows are taken, promises made, and prayers lifted; may we all renew relationships with Him and each other. And may our hearts be overflowing and grateful to God for his perfect timing and creative plans. Here’s to the journey that brought us to this place in time and the one that will take us from this day forward.

Cheers!