The Master, the wedding planner

Its been a matter of weeks already after our wedding.  According to God's law and human legality, I am no longer a single but a married woman and a wife of  Joshua Adam Haltom, my husband in the eyes of God and men.  I am already Mrs. Lady Lyn Erenio Calderon Haltom.

After almost two months of preparation, including premarital seminar, planning, documents processing, shopping, waiting and coordinating about the things related to the wedding from the Church to the reception program we can finally say...yes, praise God we did it.  Of course the helped and support from our family, and sisters and brothers in Christ were made it easier for us.
With the permission of my husband to share the story behind the wedding,  the original plan was to have a simple exchange of vows and after that we desired everyone to gather, bless the union through praying for us at the altar no more no less.  But who can phantom God's ways of blessing our special day through the people who shared their time, effort, talent, spiritual gifting and support?

Several weeks before the wedding, our sister in Christ Mrs. Bernice intentionally offered her time and drove us to Walmart for the gift registry thing.  At the same time, we looked around and shopped the wedding materials that we needed.  When we were about to get the pillow ring holder, we noticed that it was not practical to buy for one time use.  Mrs. Bernice,  uttered that she might have materials at home to sew it.  Of course, it brought blessing for us. 

 

I remembered when Joshua and I  were praying about the wedding,  we always asked God to organize our planning and put everything in order and that it will bring glory to His name.  The whole time of the wedding preparation, my husband and I never worried about the money for the reason that we both knew in our hearts how He provided and sustained us all through out since the beginning of our relationship no matter how hard the situation was.  His image to us as a God who provides all we need according to His glorious riches was already established in our hearts and minds. 

Even when I was still single,  God pampered me with numerous types of sponsorship including my wardrobe from head to toe through my generous boss.  She never with held the blessing that she receives from God, instead she shared it joyfully.  She modeled to me the principles of giving and receiving.  She gives more and receives abundantly.  "I believe that all the things we received from God daily to support our lives including talents and spiritual gifting shall not die in our own hands instead we shall channeled it to bless others mostly those who don't yet have a relationship in Christ Jesus.  Why? For them to feel, witness, believe and trust God's nature is to bless, and it will be easier for each of us to see that truth if we intentionally practice it daily towards each other not flaunting ourselves but God's goodness in our lives. 

God, being our Shepherd, and the master planner of our lives,  His nature is to be fully involved and overseer everything that we need daily even in the smallest details of our wedding.  He thoughtfully provided my flower bouquet and head dress.  It was like a manna from heaven.  It was one Sunday afternoon right after the Church service (months before the wedding) Joshua and I were standing  at the foyer waiting for our Pastor to discuss something about the pre-marital seminar when a sister in Christ walked towards us, kindly greeted us and introduced herself.  It was sister Debbie,  she gently broke the news that she love to made me a bouquet of flowers for it was her passion to make one.  Joshua and I were amazed though I know it was one of God's way to show me how important and beloved daughter I am to Him.  With Him we will never be in need,  the bouquet comes with the head dress.  

We never ask God for an extravagant wedding,  we just asked Him to put everything in order.  There were some point that we felt like our patience was being stretched because the date of the wedding was rescheduled.  Our mindset was to expedite it since we were in the commitment to remain pure until our wedding night.  Not knowing that behind this waiting was the unveiling of God's great plan, to surprise us little by little up to the climax just for us to experience how valuable we are with Him.  He even provided my husband a groom's cake with the generous gestures of  Uncle Steve (Joshua's mother's brother) and April, his wife. 

Up to this writing,   I am thinking how will I return back to God all the faithfulness He showed to us.  The people He used to expressed His love for us are all extravagant in their own ways and sweet gestures.  We didn't even need to pay for our wedding coordinator because our sister in Christ Candace Thomas labored for God and not for men.  I am amazed how she handled and coordinated all the programs from Church processional, wedding march to reception and even the lay-out and designs of the programs and game.  

 I am Imagining all the characters of the people who helped us and supported us in many ways, summing them all together is not enough to describe how great God's character is.  

All the praises belongs to God for all of these.  Almost of the gifts I mentioned above were almost material things, which will never last except for the thought of how He made it especially for us because God is being please that we entrusted it to Him to be in charge of our wedding.  He designed the union of men and women to bring honor to His name.

Matthew 6:26-27

 26 Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they? ²⁷ Can any one of you by worrying add a single hour to your life?