Our Thanksgiving was far from “normal” this year. A typical Thanksgiving for us is being home and hosting my side of the family. We usually have 30-40 people in to celebrate with us and we enjoy every minute. But this year, our day looked entirely different because instead of lots of homemade food…we ate at a fast food restaurant at a truck stop. Talk about one extreme to the other; but our reason for the change made it all worthwhile.
Instead of being home last Thursday…we left at 5:30 am to head to North Carolina for our daughter’s wedding which was on Saturday. Oh, what a weekend it was. Our daughter wanted the theme of her day to be “simple elegance”…and it just couldn’t have been more perfect. She looked like a radiant princess and her knight in shining armor was so handsome. It was definitely the most wonderful day.
But to be honest, the planning for this special day began 35 years ago when Erica made her grand entrance into our lives and into our hearts. The reason is that as each of our children were born, I began praying for their future spouse. I know that may sound rather crazy…holding and rocking a newborn and praying for the person they will someday marry…but I felt impressed to do just that. I knew that besides asking Jesus into their heart…choosing a life partner would be one of the most important decisions they would ever make. So, if it was that crucial…I knew that praying not only for them, but for their future spouse…needed to be a priority in my life.
I can’t put into words how amazing it has been to watch Christ answer those prayers with each of our children. We are now so blessed to have a Christian daughter-in-law and two Christian son-in-laws as a part of our family. With each wedding, I have thanked my Jesus over and over again for hearing my prayers and answering them in such a powerful way.
Could He have worked all of this out without my years of praying? Of course He could have. But, I would have missed out on having a part in the entire process. Oh, I have learned so much over these years. You see with each prayer…I fell just a little more in love with this future family member whom I didn’t even know. I cared more and more for them as I prayed for their health, their protection, and above all, their relationship with Jesus. I not only prayed for our child to become the Christ follower that he or she should be…but I lifted up their future mate…asking Jesus to draw them near to Him. Then, as each spouse entered our family, I already loved them and felt like I had had a part in their lives…even if I hadn’t known who they were for many years.
If you are a parent and aren’t praying for your child’s future mate…I want to urge you to begin doing so today. Whether they are newborns or adults…praying for them and their future mate is one of the greatest gifts you will ever give them. You may never know what your prayers have shielded them from or how they have been blessed by them…but I can attest to the fact that Christ will hear your prayers and will bless you for your persistent prayers.
Oh, and sometimes our prayers are even answered with blessings we didn’t expect. We not only added another wonderful son to our family this past weekend, we also gained a beautiful 14-year-old granddaughter. God is SO good!
“Never stop praying.”
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