So yes, there's always a birthday going on in this house and June has to be one of the busiest! Still trying to remain money conscious, we kept things really simple and did a cousin birthday party at the beach and then a quick trip to IKEA for a family birthday dinner which was loads cheaper than a "real" dinner out. Knowing another birthday is only 3 days away, we quickly picked up a couple of packages of the IKEA meatballs and we'll make it at home for the almost 5 year old on his birthday. It'll feel like IKEA at home for a much lower price.
The birthday yesterday was for my youngest daughter. I should be crying knowing she is no longer a baby, but I get so distracted with our little 3 year old that I forget about the fact she's growing up, too! So my baby daughter is now 7. Her name means "virtuous life-giving maiden". She was a flower girl on the weekend for Jen and Roger. The couple that she helped pray for. She prayed Roger's name for Jen each night for a long time. Maybe that was one of the fulfillments of her name, helping to bring life to a young woman that longed for a godly husband. She told me at the end of the day how happy she was to see Jen so happy. To be at the wedding and observe the miracle and have her be in it was such a blessing.
Jen and Roger did such such a sweet thing. They used a drawing my daughter had drawn when she had first met Jen for the front of their program. It was a sweet drawing of two stick people, clearly one was a bride in a wedding dress holding a bouquet and kicking up her foot. The other was a groom with a bow tie. They had a thought bubble above their heads of a heart. So cute! Jen had my daughter sign her name last August and it was included on the drawing. For months Jen had that taped to her wall as a sign of encouragement from God that He would bring her a husband, one day. I asked her what made her draw that months ago and she said, "I just had to before it was too late!" I'm not sure exactly what she meant, but I think in her mind she needed to encourage Jen so that she knew there was hope!
Then that day came. It was a wedding like no wedding I've ever been to. First of all they were super late for pictures, but they finally showed up and the wedding started nearly on time! It started off almost right from the beginning with cheering! Everyone was just so happy for them! Roger had waited for 51 years to marry this woman and you could tell he was excited! He kept pumping his fist in the air and saying "Amen!". Then he would look around and say, "I need to hear a few more 'Amens!' !!! It was so funny! Then the pastor, who was a good friend of his, just stood there and smiled and everyone laughed again as we all knew they had a history and were so amazed they were finally standing there before him getting married. It brings tears to my eyes just recalling it all. Then, the singing....There was so much singing! It was a combination of hymns and choruses, but all of it was beautiful.
After that, another friend came up and gave the gospel message because Jen and Roger wanted to make sure no one in the room left without hearing it. He even gave people an opportunity to pray to accept Christ if they wanted to that day. It was great. Then the regular part of the ceremony, the exchanging of vows. Vows they had written themselves. I don't know how they got through them without crying... I cried! They were so beautifully written. Then the rings..... getting closer to being married! Roger just kept looking back at all of us with this HUGE grin on his face! Then the pregnant pause before the kiss, the pastor was giving them a hard time! Finally, he said, "You are man and wife...". More cheering! Then the kiss...... more cheering!!!! It was so hilarious!
That is typically the end of the service, but no, more singing! Song after song. Then the worship leader said, "We now have a special guest who will join us for the remaining two songs.....". Up goes Roger, takes off his suit jacket and sits at the drums and pounds away on them for the last two songs. More cheering! The funniest part was just before the last song ended, he stood up and said, "Uh, if you don't mind (pointing to the ladies in the front row), could you move here and you move here so that Jen can move here so that I can see her?"!!!!! He had everyone get up in the front row so that Jen could be in his sightlines from the drums! The last song was "Happy Day", a perfect way to end it. But again, not in your typical style. Just before the final chorus, the worship leader stops playing his guitar and turns to Roger who goes into a drum solo of all drum solos, for Jen (who also happens to play drums!). She had requested this apparently! More cheering! At the end of the song, Roger puts on his suit jacket, makes his way down, his bride joins him and then the pastor announces the new happy couple.... more cheering! It was over an hour and a half long ceremony! But truly one of the most joyful events I've ever been to. We praise God for bringing them together through His perfect will and plan for their lives.
I always marvel at how God brings people into my life when I'm a mom at home busy with 8 kids. It's always works out to be just exactly what I can handle and usually benefits all of us and teaches all of us, too. Meeting with Jen on and off over the last year has been wonderful for all my girls, to witness God's miracles, especially with respect to a marriage relationship, how God has a story for each one of us. I used to think I needed to be out and about doing "big" things for God. I do love being "out"! One of my favourite places is actually at the front of a room speaking about anything from chores to whatever - I love speaking! One of my other favourite things to do is to meet with other people and be involved in their lives, especially younger moms, in Bible Studies, etc. But, I don't get those opportunities very often, so when they come, like meeting with Jen, I eat it up. Of course, I know that I am doing "big" things for God by raising these younger disciples of mine. And almost as if God knew I needed the encouragement yesterday as Jen now has Roger and doesn't need me like she used to, I read in the devotional how an island is made of coral, all these little polyps working under the sea day after day, to create an island that sustains life, animals, vegetation, cities....... work going on behind the scenes with no recognition. It was a reminder that sometimes when I'm feeling I should be out in the front doing more important things that I am in fact right where God wants me.... "building the foundation of a new island, which will someday support plants and animals and will be a home where the children of God will be born and equipped for eternal glory as 'co-heirs with Christ'". The devotional went on to say, "if your place in God's army is hidden and secluded, do not grumble or complain.... God calls some people to be spiritual polyps. He is looking for those who are willing to serve in places hidden from the sight of others, yet in full view of heaven, and who are sustained by the Holy Spirit." That's where I find myself right now, working to build an island "under the sea", cell by cell, day by day, where it may feel like it is unimportant work, but I'm building an island, sometimes by just being with my own children, sometimes by bringing other people, like Jen, into my life. Perhaps in the future God will bring another opportunity into my life. He always does and it is always the exact right person or situation at the exact right time.
Back to the wedding for a second and how we did things on the cheap.....I wanted to buy my daughter a new dress and a fancy bouquet, but my sister's daughter had been in a wedding just the year before so we were able to borrow her dress which was the exact size we needed! Yeah! For the bouquet, my daughter suggested we go to the grocery store and pick a bouquet of flowers from there! Great idea! So that's exactly what I did on the day of the wedding, I went to the store and found a beautiful bouquet for $8. I came home, cut off the long stems, wrapped some tulle around the base and voilà! A bouquet! Pretty cheap! I splurged and got her hair done, but that was something I didn't want to mess with. She looked super cute.
This week we are sewing our little fingers off getting ready for a craft show. Should be interesting as I'm not convinced we'll sell anything, but it'll be a good experience to see if there is a market for any of the things we've been working on.
Summer is finally here and I am loving the warmer weather. I pray daily for the things we long to accomplish as I've said many times before. Summer is so short and we have so much to do! Every minute has to count. But I must trust God for our summer. He'll determine what actually gets done and I can't be upset if we don't get all 300 things done on the list!
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