As I wake up earlier than I'd really
like to and the tasks of the day begin to form a checklist in my
mind, I think back to the incredible series of events that lead to
this day. It's certainly not a fairy tale and it hasn't been anywhere
close to easy. It's my wedding day, and I'm not marrying the girl of
my dreams.
Working in a local coffee shop, my
coworkers and I joked about the kind of girl I was looking for. After
all, coffee shops are popular places and all manner of men and women
come through every day. The running joke finally became that I was
looking for a Spanish girl named Margarita that could make a good
one.
What ran through my head wasn't all
that different. It really wasn't about sipping margaritas and eating
pork tamales. It was about a physical look that I liked, a culture I
admired (mostly for the food!), and the opposite of my ex-wife.
She was my dream girl. Every day I
worked in that coffee shop, I wondered if she actually existed and
when she would walk through that door.
Then I met the woman who is becoming my
bride today. I met her at church, not the coffee shop. She didn't meet any of the requirements for being my
dream girl. Actually, I didn't meet the requirements on her list
either. I'm divorced, have two kids, and no master's degree. Yet
somehow, God brought the two of us together.
We both have histories that we'd like
to put behind us. On our very first date, we laid out all of the
worst our closets had been hiding and held our breath...
What we found was acceptance from each
other. It wasn't what had been done. It was the work of Christ in our
lives and the story of grace that He was writing. The Spirit allowed
us to see the work and the change that Christ had done in our lives.
By allowing us to see with eyes of grace, we could see the stunning
beauty that was there. It was Christ in me recognizing Christ in her
- two people led by the same Spirit redeemed to the same
righteousness.
The acceptance that we found with each
other is a tangible reminder of the acceptance we find in Christ. No,
our love isn't perfect. It did create a swell of gratitude and attraction
though. Christ's perfect pursuit and acceptance of us creates those
same emotions of gratitude and draws us closer to Him the more we
realize just how much His grace covers in us.
I'm not marrying the girl of my dreams
today. My dreams were far too shallow. I have the privilege and the
honor of marrying a women who is stunningly beautiful because of
Christ living in her. I have the privilege and honor of marrying
into a family that loves Jesus and sees me through eyes of grace.
In about 6 hours, my fiancee' trades
her title in for Wife, and I trade mine in for Husband. She is more than
I'd hoped for, more than I dreamed of, and so much more than I
deserve. It is my prayer that I can live up to the high calling of
being her husband by the grace of God, a focused gaze on Christ, and
guidance through the Spirit. God did not bring us this far to end the
story here and keep it to ourselves. He has more in store and it is
our privilege to honor Him by being the willing instruments to share
the testimony of His love, faithfulness, grace, and mercy.
