Well it’s Valentine’s Day, and while I would love to stay away from cliches this story came to mind, and I had to share it. For all of you who are adamantly opposed to the holiday, my apologies.
I was thinking about my wedding day, mostly because I woke up this morning to blueberry muffins, a sweet note, and a fresh pot of coffee thanks to my wonderful husband, and two years later my wedding day can still bring me to tears. It’s not just because it was a wonderful day full of wonderful memories, but because of something Kristian said to me that still resonates in my mind. I walked out in my wedding dress to my three brothers and father, and Kristian started crying. He told me that in that moment he realized this is how God always saw me, as a beautiful bride of Christ.
See if our God was any different, if I had gotten what I deserved instead of his loving grace, I wouldn’t be dressed in white marrying a man who loved me unconditionally. If God had been a God of works instead of a God of mercy I would have spent the rest of my life working to make up for the many mistakes I made.
This isnt the God who loves us though. The God who loves us knows who we really are because as Pat so brilliantly pointed out at Midtown Church a few weeks ago, we are not what we do, but we are who God says we are. God say’s we are beautiful, forgiven, free, and a bride of Christ. So that day, dressed in white, God whispered to me “this is how I always saw you.” Even when I was making decisions that didn’t reflect that, God saw me as his daughter and his bride.
So for those of you with stories like mine, I just wanted to give you a glimpse as to how the father in heaven sees you, as his beautiful bride, clean before him. No matter what you have done, you are not your mistakes. You are the daughter of the king.
Isiah 61:10 10 I delight greatly in the LORD; my soul rejoices in my God. For he has clothed me with garments of salvation and arrayed me in a robe of his righteousness, as a bridegroom adorns his head like a priest, and as a bride adorns herself with her jewels.
Taylor - It’s a beautiful picture of Christ. Thanks for the reminder of his unconditional love. Happy Valentines Day!
Taylor - What a beautiful picture of Christ’s love. Thanks for the reminder Tindy. Happy Valentines Day!
Jessica - I can remember meeting you at big stuf camp when you shared your story with the christ community youth group, I was only in middle school and now I am in college reading your blogs and hearing kristian on the radio! I’m so proud to have known you and you have no idea how touching your blogs are. Nothing is better than knowing that you are not “alone.” I can’t wait to read your book! Thank you for what you do and sharing your story. God is doing great things through you:)