September 29

I was feeling like I might skip this week's blog post, but then remembered it's a very special day to commemorate. So here in my small corner of the internet, I'll attempt to do just that.

September 29, 1972, my parents said their vows to one another at a small church wedding in Amarillo, Texas. Mom was 18. Dad was 21. Dad's frizzy hair reached out almost to his shoulders. He wore a brown suit and burgundy tie. Mom wore a scarlet dress with white lace and a trimmed veil. Her mother would not permit her to wear all white. Though my parents loved each other, they may not have wed were it not for the firm push from their respectable mothers. And within those first few months of marriage, they would experience a pull to separate, were it not for Someone intervening and offering saving grace. That saving grace would become the song to their story. 

I tried describing to friends today the main reason for my parent's matrimonial longevity. My parent's story is unique, but at the same time, could be anyone's story. Any newlywed couple could have gone to see the nationwide faith-based film, "Time to Run" and felt the nudge to walk forward after the movie. Counselors waited up front, Bibles in hand. Any couple could have eventually found a gospel preaching church and surrendered their lives to serve the Lord. Any couple could have received guidance and discipleship from their pastor and Sunday School teachers, missionaries, Christian radio, and Christian friends. Any couple could have gone to study theology, graduate, grow their family, pack their bags and move overseas to start churches. Any couple could have learned Cantonese, then Mandarin, raise eight children, then stick it out for forty years in ministry, right? Any couple could retain their individual passion for extending what they each know and are learning from their half-century walk with God. 

While any couple could have seen that Christian film, most might have easily brushed off any sense of an internal nudge, one or the other not felt it at all, gone home and continued with their status quo. Any couple could have gotten annoyed with the style or perceived legalism in their choice of churches and left. Any couple could have said no to more children. Any couple could have grown tired of living so far removed from family, the conveniences and comforts of home. Any couple could have decided enough was enough and gone their separate ways. Any couple could have grown bitter over all kinds of situations past and present. Any aging couple could sit back and focus on their own aches and pains, deciding to let others do the spiritual growing and investing. 

But no. It's so much more than humanly possible. It's God. It's all God. 

"But as many as received Him (Jesus Christ), to them gave he power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name: Which were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God." John 1:12-13