I was attending a Bible College in Joplin MO in 1985. I had grown up in the church; in fact my dad was a preacher. I was grounded in the faith from an early age yet often strayed off the path as a teen. But Here I was at Bible College working on a Music Ministry degree, but at that point more importantly was dating an incredible young man, who as well was a preacher’s kid. Well it was Christmas break we went to Randy’s folks for Christmas. We opened gifts on Christmas Eve, and everyone but me knew what a special night this was going to be. Randy and I had been dating for a year and we had talked often about getting married, I was in a hurry of course as many girls are, my “biological clock is ticking” I would say, I still laugh every time I think about the time I exclaimed almost in tears “ if we wait too long, I’ll be past the years of child bearing”. I was 21. Well, Randy decided he was ready to marry me and yes after almost exactly 1 year of dating, that Christmas Eve, gave me a sweet piano music box with a porcelain girl who sat at the piano. As I opened up the lid of the piano for the music, inside was an engagement ring. I was of course ecstatic, and of course said yes to his proposal.
We spent a couple days more at his folks and then went on to Kansas to visit my folks and share the exciting news. After a few days of visiting with my folks we headed back to the college. Before we made it back I stopped off at one of my best friend’s house. And during this exciting time, there was a nagging in my heart. I was beginning to have this terrible feeling that one of those sins “that will surely find you out” was about to find me out. While visiting my friend, I took a pregnancy test. And to my horror of horror, the sin of all sins, the worst of the worst, especially for 2 preachers kids…oh no, now everyone will know. Of course I had to break the news to Randy and this was surely putting a huge damper on this joyous occasion. We got back to school and still had a few days before school was to start, Randy took me to the movies and I had decided to tell him after the movie. We went to see the movie “Out of Africa” and it seemed to last 4 hours and I couldn’t tell you one thing about the whole movie for being so distraught, distracted and full of despair. After the movie I told him and we made plans to go the next day back to his parents to seek counsel. We decided to get married as soon as possible which was in one month. While at his parents’ house I of course needed to call my parents. I dreaded this immensely because of the disappointment and embarrassment this would be to my folks. I got mom on the phone, and although she had not given me any reason to believe she would yell at me and verbally abuse me for this lack of restraint, she had never made light of sin and the consequences. I was prepared for some sort of difficult conversation. But here it is, I told my mother we were moving up the date of the wedding, which we had been planning about a 8-10 month engagement, she cheerfully replied, well, I’m not surprised, are you thinking more the lines of 4-6 month engagement, I held back the tears as long as I could, but in a trembling voice I said, no mom, and in between the sobs, I said, no mom, were getting married in 1 month. And in the most Christ like, grace giving, and pure selfless love, she sweetly replied, Well Sherri, Why didn’t you tell me when you were here, we could have already started on your wedding plans. It was at that moment I truly felt and knew what grace was more than anything in my life. She spent the next 4 weeks working hard to help me have the best wedding I could and It was everything that I had always imagined and more. That’s what my mom did right. Now my dad, of course this was a huge blow to him as well, he never said anything until my wedding day. At the reception dad came up to me and as gentle and sweet as you can imagine, kissed me on the cheek, gave me a loving daddy hug and whispered the most perfect thing for me, “I’m proud of you and Randy” The love of God was demonstrated loud and clear to me that day. And that’s what my dad did right.
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