Monthly Archives: June 2013

The Rehearsal

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I began praying for my children before I’d met any of them, and one of my ongoing requests was for their future spouses, should they choose to marry. It was fun to think about those other children, wherever they were during the growing-up years, being raised in other families, yet being prayed for by ours.

As the dating years arrived, I secretly wondered, “Is she that one? Or maybe is he?” Just like parents longing to meet and get acquainted with their not-yet-born baby, I longed to put names and faces with my prayer requests for these future spouses.

The face and the name

Now I have the pleasure of connecting Klaus’ bride with a name (Brooke) and face (lovely), which was great satisfaction when it happened. And last weekend my prayers for my son’s future bride changed to prayers for my new daughter-in-law.

It all began, though, with a rehearsal, just as most weddings do. Those in the wedding came together to run through it at the selected location, which in this case was a beautiful estate complete with woods, rolling hills, two ponds, several fountains, homes, and a lawn just right for 150 bales of hay (seating).

Hauling bench-bales

After filling up on pizza, everyone received instructions and took their places. The four young children did exactly as directed, and the “preacher,” our Nelson, reviewed the order of service with bride and groom. The sound man tried his equipment, and Birgitta practiced the song she would sing.

Little wedding people

Spirits ran high, and even little Emerald happily watched the proceedings. Although an untimely rain constantly threatened, everyone proceeded as if it didn’t, hoping the ceremony wouldn’t end up in the barn.

Much of life can be rehearsed beforehand. We can make plans to research how situations will most likely go. We can role-play, troubleshoot, and do dry runs in an effort to be prepared for what’s around the corner.

But some things can’t be anticipated and take us by surprise. An argument. A diagnosis. An accident. A break-up. We wish we’d known ahead of time so we could have gotten ready, but there we were, exposed and unprepared.

God offers to help in times like these. Nothing takes him by surprise, and because of that he is always prepared. He has already seen what’s ahead and wants to soften the blow for us if we’ll let him. All we have to do is ask.

The rehearsal.

Brooke and Klaus worked hard to prepare for their rehearsal, which then prepared them for their wedding the next day. And because they planned to move into their marriage arm-in-arm with the Lord, any surprises that can’t be rehearsed ahead of time shouldn’t threaten them. Since their God is always prepared, they won’t have to worry.

“Do not be afraid or discouraged, for the Lord will personally go ahead of you. He will be with you; he will neither fail you nor abandon you.” (Deuteronomy 31:8)

A Busy Week

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IMG_5204During the final week before a wedding, responsibilities in- crease, especially for the bride and groom. But they aren’t the only ones. Extended family begins cleaning house and changing sheets to ready for company, and airport runs become frequent. Refrigerators are stocked, and wedding clothes are pressed. Excitement mounts, and at the end of it, God unites a man and woman in the amazing partnership of marriage.

Our family is 6 days away from Klaus and Brooke’s ceremony, close enough to be checking our iPhones every hour to see if the rain has been eliminated from Saturday’s forecast yet, since they plan an outdoor wedding. There’s much to do, and our out-of-towners begin arriving today.

“Happy chaos” will be the theme of the week, as it is for every family planning a wedding, but the joining of two individuals and also their families is the delightful reason beneath the hubbub.

All of my children will be on hand to celebrate, as well as son-in-law Adam and half of my grandchildren. Hans will be coming from England without his family, since his 4th child, little Andrew Kenneth, is only 2 weeks old. But I’m thankful he said “yes” to being his brother’s Best Man and that Katy said “yes” too!

Nate celebrates.

One other family member who will be missing this week is Nate. I know his absence will feel big, but I also know the Lord will provide many reasons for rejoicing throughout Klaus and Brooke’s special day, even if some of it might be done through a tear or two.

Knowing God will be present and active throughout that day will be my greatest joy. After all, marriage is his invention, and when a couple ties the knot, his Spirit is keenly involved in that process. I know the Lord already has some special wedding gifts of a spiritual nature prepared for that day, certainly for the bride and groom, but for the rest of us, too.

Since the week promises to be extra busy, I’m going to do something I haven’t done since starting this blog 4 years ago: I’m going to take the week off.

You readers are always on my mind and in my prayers (and will continue to be this week), and it’s pure pleasure to write these blog posts. But I know my place is with my family this week, particularly since we are rarely together across the many miles between us.

Engagement photo by Caroline and Jayden

So, thank you for your understanding, and I’ll get back to you in a week with a summary of all that happened, both spiritually and otherwise. As you go into your own busy week, know that I’ll be missing you.

”I know that everything God does will endure forever; nothing can be added to it and nothing taken from it.” (Ecclesiastes 3:14)

We heard from the herd.

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A cliffWhen I was in high school, I complained to my parents that they “never let me do what the other kids did.” I wanted to wear shorter skirts, go to the movies, and attend school dances, all of which were prohibited. Dad’s retort was always the same. “Just because the other kids do it doesn’t make it right for you. If they all jumped off a cliff, would you jump too?”

Probably.

What I wanted more than anything was to fit in, and usually that translated to doing what everyone else was doing. I was following the “herd mentality” of the day; if it was good for my friends, it was good for me. It would be many years before I began thinking for myself.

Last weekend I visited a large farm in Iowa (yesterday’s blog) that was established in 1868 by my friend Fred’s great-grandfather. He began with 400 acres and a few head of cattle, but those 19th century animals probably acted exactly the same as the 21st century cattle I saw last weekend, despite the many generations between them. One of the things endemic to all of these animals is their “herd mentality.”

The herdsFor example, Fred and Becky explained how cattle are quickly trained to steer clear of electric wire fencing. When one animal gets shocked and moves away, the others quickly follow. After that, workers can reshape the herd (to clean the feedlots or for any other reason), simply by stringing a wire anywhere across the pen. What one does, they all do.

Chute 3

The cattle also follow each other up a chute and into the truck that will take them to market, none the wiser. They aren’t able to think for themselves and just do what the animal in front of them does.

But cattle aren’t the only ones who abide by a herd mentality. The argument “everybody’s doing it” can apply to more than just cattle and high schoolers. For the rest of us it might mean cutting corners on taxes, falsely padding a resume’, not telling the whole truth, or any number of other things… because “everybody’s doing it.” But God challenges us to make up our minds, each one of us, as to the standards we keep.

Scripture paints an interesting word picture about a “narrow gate” being the way into God’s kingdom. It also describes the way most of the “herd” will go, calling it “the wide gate” with a broad road leading up to it. In other words, the narrow way is the difficult way, and the wide way is easy. So we need to be careful about which crowd we’re following, or we might find ourselves in some big trouble.

Herded together

As for the cattle? They can follow the herd mentality all they want.

“You can enter God’s Kingdom only through the narrow gate. The highway to hell is broad, and its gate is wide for the many who choose that way.” (Matthew 7:13)