Living On The Edge

Twenty-three years ago on this day, I stood before God with my husband, Michael, and entered into the covenant of marriage. There was no way I could fully understand the meaning of the vows we made that day.  But there was one thing I knew for certain. The one I promised to honor and love until death - he was created for me.

Throughout my childhood, my grandmother talked about her prayers for my future husband. She often told me that she was praying for the man I would marry. She would tell me she had been praying regularly for my husband since I was an infant. Because of her words, I possessed a unique confidence -  I believed there was a special man somewhere in the world waiting to reveal his love for me.

Twelve days after my eighteenth birthday, my prince arrived at last! Within six weeks, I knew he was the man I would marry. I wrote about it in my journal, in my own special code. To boldly write the words, seemed scary - after all, I was only eighteen. What would everyone say if they discovered my secret? So I kept my secret in my heart until four weeks later, when I received the surprise of my life.

Ten weeks after we met, Michael whisked me away to the beautiful North Georgia Mountains. He planned a day of hiking for us, and led me to a breathtaking waterfall called Helton Creek Falls. While I was sitting on a tree limb in front of the waterfall, Michael got down on his knee and presented me with a magnificent diamond ring. In his knightly way, he asked, “Will you marry me?” Even though I had known in my heart - Michael was the one for me, the question caught me off guard. The word “marriage” had never come out of either of our mouths. It had only been seven days since Michael had first told me he loved me. I didn’t know that he had been having the same intuitive thoughts I had about our destiny together. He knew if he waited much longer the element of surprise would be lost. His plan worked. I was taken by complete surprise!  The word, “Yes!” popped out of my mouth quicker than my mind could fully comprehend what was happening. I was overjoyed, utterly amused by the thought of being his bride. It was a dream come true – one I had replayed over and over in my head while pretending to be a princess when I was a young girl. Today, it evokes emotions in me, remembering the beauty of the summer we first fell in love. It was everything screenplay writers and poets write about. It was magical. If I had not been so young, I believe we would have married the summer we met.

We got married nineteen months later on April 27, 1985. The wedding was a beautiful picture of Christ and His bride. We were two young Christians, passionately in love, making a pledge to walk in oneness. Some of the memories are crystal clear to me, others are not as clear. I have a 27 page "Memory Book" I wrote about our wedding and honeymoon that helps to fill in the gaps. There is one detail I'll always remember: The Spirit of God was so powerful that day. While we were taking communion, I wept as I sensed the Holy Spirit reigning over us. It was truly a union ordained by God. In my memory book, I expressed my joy about something many of our wedding guests said: Our wedding was the most meaningful ceremony they had ever attended. I believe our guests were sensing the powerful presence of our Lord that day.

After celebrating with our family and friends, we made our departure for our much awaited honeymoon. The next day, we arrived in Florida and drove into the hotel valet area. We were approached by an enthusiastic young man who introduced himself as “Derek.” The “Just Married” decorations on our car had captured his attention. In my memory book, I wrote about Derek. We discovered he was a Christian, and he worked for the hotel. He helped us carry our luggage in – then prayed the sweetest prayer with us about our new marriage. We never saw Derek around the hotel again, except for one other time. He came to our room and brought a card. Inside the card he wrote what I believe was a message from God. It was  as though the young man knew we would need the encouraging words for the road ahead of us. He filled the card with words of blessings, ending with these words: “May you both be willing to forgive each other when difficulties arise even as Christ Jesus forgives you. Don’t let the sun go down on your anger, but always seek restitution promptly. May your marriage be built on the rock of Jesus who ensures stability in trying times.” At the top of the card, he drew a picture of us standing on a rock. Next to it were the words, “The Rock of Jesus.” Many times I have wondered: “Was this young man an angel in disguise?”

This card has remained sacred to me since that day in 1985. I have kept it in a place of honor with our marriage certificate. When we were fighting the storms that threatened our marriage, and all I could see was darkness around me - the Lord reminded me of the words of wisdom written in that card. When I felt like giving up, I held onto those words, and trusted the Lord to carry us through. Today, the sunshine is shining brightly on our marriage. My heart is rejoicing! We made it! We made it through the storms. I am confident we will make it through the rain or wind that may come our way... as long as we are standing firmly On the Rock.

Matthew 7:24-25

Therefore everyone who hears these words of mine and puts them into practice is like a wise man who built his house on the rock. The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against the house; yet it did not fall, because it had it's foundation on the rock. NIV

Lord, thank you for the gift of marriage. Thank you for creating a man just for me. Help me to love and honor him all the days of my life. Let our lives together be a living example of Your love for the Church. Amen.

Amy

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