Excitement and Romance

We leave fingerprints wherever we go. On whatever surface we touch, depending on the qualities of the substance, an impression is made, material is moved, or visible remains are left behind. God’s “fingerprints” on our lives are worth discovering and remembering. One such fingerprint in my life was the decision to devote my purity to God when I was 15.

God had made it clear that even this area of life belonged to Him and that I needed to surrender it to Him, to ask Him to keep me not only physically, but also mentally and emotionally for my future husband if marriage was in His plan for me. I chose to wear a ring as a reminder of that promise that had “True Love Waits” inscribed on it, and from time to time God used His Word, conversations, and sermons to remind me to pray about this promise and write letters to whomever Mr. Right would be. A decade later, I publicly gave my husband that ring as a part of our wedding ceremony, and was given his in return. I am beyond grateful.

A plethora of evidence of God’s sovereign, yet intimate care was seen in all of the details that were woven together for the wedding on May 12th, 2016. God provided loving friends and family who graciously gave of their time and talents in various generous ways (which we are SO thankful for), but one of God’s provisions that stood out the most to me is how He provided for my Dad to walk me down the aisle. A father is irreplaceable in the life of his child. Mine was trapped in Fort McMurray, Alberta just barely over a week before my wedding here in Texas because his campsite/worksite area became the evacuation hub for the majority of citizens and workers fleeing the massive fire. Regular routine fights from his workplace turned into “triage” flights based on importance/need of departure, with my Dad further down on the list of priority. I took the time to call my Dad, text him, pray with him, and send him Scripture passages to comfort him as we both knew that only God could truly provide. And He did. God provided the flight to remove my Dad from the ordeal, and provided a wonderful friend who was previously a truck driver who knew how to deliver on time! My Dad not only was able to enjoy my wedding, but also my graduation from my Spanish program two days before the wedding.

Another blessing, was how God incorporated various leaders into one of the dedicatory prayers during the wedding. Not only was it important that our families publicly dedicate Nathan and I as a married couple to God, but that the leaders in our lives stand with us in prayer as well. We recognize that there are many more people who have impacted our lives than those who stood with us, but we were especially blessed to be prayed over by our bosses, fellow staff members, our local pastor, and various board members of RGBM. As you will read in Nate’s section of this update, your prayers are needed more than ever as God has presented us with an unexpected opportunity to grow in faith, trust, and hope… together. Thank you so much for already walking with us this far!