Ahava Love Letter
Dear family of friends,
On 9/10/11 my youngest daughter Christen is going to get married. After 24 years of teaching her all we know, her mother Laurie and I are “giving her hand” to a great prince named Andrew Blade.
And guess what? With two ordination papers in hand (actually on my office wall), I will be the minister marrying them. Laurie, our other three kids, and Andrew’s parents Michael and MaryAnn, along with their daughter Anna, have been in the preparation mode since the announcement last fall. It looks like we are ready.
I even have my message all prepared (which I will share in the next Ahava Love Letter after the wedding.)
Thinking back on these years the good Lord has already given to us with Christen, I sometimes wonder if I could have done better to prepare her for this exciting day, and her new life. I certainly know there must be things that were missed or left undone. With that in mind though, I just have to leave it up to the Lord to take care of it, and trust also in her husband’s lifelong preparation to help fill in parts. Confident of these two realities, I can smile.
The foundation of my wedding message, or sermonette, as short messages were called in church growing up, speaks about the Lord Jesus being the Solid Rock in a marriage couple’s bedrock. As I see the world and current marriage statistics, I am confident that without the Lord’s grace and interaction, as the third cord strand between the two, no marriage can withstand the onslaught of evil forces that continually batter against them.
Our own marriage of 34 years could not have held this long if it not had been the Lord Who was on our side, uplifting, leading, providing, and sustaining through the trials and tribulations that came. “Only by His grace, yet go I” as the saying goes. Keeping that strong relationship with Him is what has kept my relationship strong with my wife, and she with me. He has been the One through these years. For this we give thanks.
As I walk my daughter down the aisle (or staircase, as the steps will actually be), my heart will be confident. He has brought these two young people together for His eternal purposes. My joy will be that in their coming days, as they together seek His face, trust in His provision, and serve in their callings, that they will have opportunity to raise young ones now as unto Him.
“Going to the chapel and she’s going to get married.” Thank you Lord!
Ahava to my family of friends,
Steve Martin
Founder/President
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Ahava Love Letter #31 Date: Aug. 30, in the year of our Lord 2011
SOooooooo happy for everyone. What a marvelous season for all of you! Mazel Tov!
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