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A Weekend with the Parents
From Thursday August 2 to Saturday August 4, I spent the weekend with Christa and her parents as we traveled to Jackson, Mississippi to visit her mother’s side of the family and her grandmother. The weekend began with an early tee time at Braelin Country Club with Mr. Kirby and what transpired proved to be perhaps one of the most affirming times in my life. Three pivotal instances served to highlight the work of the Lord: lunch with Christa’s parents, a six and a half hour car ride and conversation, and another testing day.
After golf, Christa and I sat down to lunch at Applebee’s with her parents. To my surprise, we began discussing in depth all that the Lord had done in my heart and in Christa’s regarding our future. My expectation was that we would begin to talk about these things in the car on our way to Mississippi, but Christa wanted to talk at lunch to see her parents’ faces. So, we commenced. Eventually, after briefing them on where the Lord had brought us, we got to the part where I told them that it was important that Christa and I both talk to Mr. and Mrs. Kirby and ask them if they each had a peace and agreement in their spirits about what God showed us. Essentially, Christa’s Dad said that he would pray about it and gave no definitive response to our inquiry.
That evening, we set out for Jackson and utilized every second of a six and a half hour car ride to discuss marriage, plans and thoughts, but primarily my story so as to fill the Kirbys in on who I was and where I came from. We talked about my life, my trials, my joys, the Lord’s calling and my certainty about God’s call for marriage and how it was bigger than the two of us. The time allowed for me to express my confidence and the opportunity for Mr. and Mrs. Kirby to see my heart in this situation. Additionally, Christa shared of the Lord’s work in her heart about me, and the long car ride served to elaborate all the more on our faith in God’s work.
The following day, however, presented another testing situation. Friday morning, we went to meet Christa’s grandmother. We all talked in her room, ate lunch, and then went back to Christa’s uncle’s house to hang out. Throughout the day, I noticed and sensed that something wasn’t the same with Christa. We got a chance to step outside and talk, and she expressed to me that she was experiencing doubt and uncertainty about her physical and emotional attraction to me and her faith in the spiritual movements of the Lord in our lives. She talked about how her father’s delay in having a peace about and agreeing with our decision to marry was another point of doubt. We prayed together and talked for a bit, but in our time together then, I really fought reiterating my resolute confidence in what the Lord had done in me for the fear that it would make Christa mad or that it might convince her by something other than the Lord that marriage was right.
Immediately after our conversation, I was driven to my knees in a small bathroom and prayed one of the most fervent prayers I can remember. I cried out to God, tears came to my eyes and rolled down my face, and I got quite a headache from the passion the Lord gave me to call on His name. He reminded me and comforted me again in the promises He had made to me. During the time on my knees, the Lord brought back to my mind Romans 4:20-21, which says of Abraham’s faith, “Yet he did not waiver through unbelief regarding the promise of God, but was strengthened in his faith and gave glory to God, being fully persuaded that God had power to do what he had promised.” This Scripture became a passionate cry of mine earlier in the week, and the Holy Spirit gave me these words to ignite my faith again in what the Lord had done.
I prayed first that the Lord would forgive me for not speaking confidently and boldly to Christa about the lies she had been hearing. Then I asked specifically that the Lord would give Christa incomprehensible peace about our future and that He would move in that moment in the heart of her father to have a peace about marriage and to share that peace with Christa. The Lord led me to claim promises and pray against all doubts that Christa and I were experiencing. For one of just a few times ever in my life, I felt a faith from God so strong that I knew He would move in her father’s heart and remove all spirits of doubt from us. I also wrote the following down on a sheet of paper as a vow and prayer to God:
“I write this down because I know one day it will serve as a reminder of the Lord’s amazing power.
Christa came to me and told me she was doubting whether we should get married—her physical attraction to me, her emotional connection with me and her spiritual agreement that the Lord had ordained all of this.
I claim this to be a host of lies and know that the Lord will take care of it.”
I tried to go to sleep but was unable to because of all that was present in my mind and heart. Then I heard a knock on the door to my room and Christa opened it. We found a quiet place and I shared with her a little bit of what just transpired, namely the sin of me withholding confidence and speaking truth to her. We talked for a few minutes, and then went back to hanging with the family before dinner.
For about thirty minutes, I had no idea where Christa was and didn’t see her. Something assured me, however, that she was talking about her experience that day with her parents. When I saw Christa again, she talked with me in another room about why she was away for that time. She told me that she talked with her mom and dad and how that conversation served to illuminate the confidence that was in her heart. Her father had expressed to her that he had a peace about us getting married and gave his approval and blessing on our decision. Then, for the first time, Christa told me that she loved me. She also expressed that she didn’t know fully what that word meant, but that she was confident in the Lord’s call for us to get married.
To say the least, I was overwhelmed. The Lord had responded to my specific prayers and proven Himself, yet again, as faithful and amazing. At dinner that night, Christa’s father initiated a conversation with the whole family about Christa and I getting married. Christa shared details of the Lord’s work, and that night I experienced a night’s sleep that was uninterrupted and refreshing—two things that had not happened in quite some time.
From Thursday August 2 to Saturday August 4, I spent the weekend with Christa and her parents as we traveled to Jackson, Mississippi to visit her mother’s side of the family and her grandmother. The weekend began with an early tee time at Braelin Country Club with Mr. Kirby and what transpired proved to be perhaps one of the most affirming times in my life. Three pivotal instances served to highlight the work of the Lord: lunch with Christa’s parents, a six and a half hour car ride and conversation, and another testing day.
After golf, Christa and I sat down to lunch at Applebee’s with her parents. To my surprise, we began discussing in depth all that the Lord had done in my heart and in Christa’s regarding our future. My expectation was that we would begin to talk about these things in the car on our way to Mississippi, but Christa wanted to talk at lunch to see her parents’ faces. So, we commenced. Eventually, after briefing them on where the Lord had brought us, we got to the part where I told them that it was important that Christa and I both talk to Mr. and Mrs. Kirby and ask them if they each had a peace and agreement in their spirits about what God showed us. Essentially, Christa’s Dad said that he would pray about it and gave no definitive response to our inquiry.
That evening, we set out for Jackson and utilized every second of a six and a half hour car ride to discuss marriage, plans and thoughts, but primarily my story so as to fill the Kirbys in on who I was and where I came from. We talked about my life, my trials, my joys, the Lord’s calling and my certainty about God’s call for marriage and how it was bigger than the two of us. The time allowed for me to express my confidence and the opportunity for Mr. and Mrs. Kirby to see my heart in this situation. Additionally, Christa shared of the Lord’s work in her heart about me, and the long car ride served to elaborate all the more on our faith in God’s work.
The following day, however, presented another testing situation. Friday morning, we went to meet Christa’s grandmother. We all talked in her room, ate lunch, and then went back to Christa’s uncle’s house to hang out. Throughout the day, I noticed and sensed that something wasn’t the same with Christa. We got a chance to step outside and talk, and she expressed to me that she was experiencing doubt and uncertainty about her physical and emotional attraction to me and her faith in the spiritual movements of the Lord in our lives. She talked about how her father’s delay in having a peace about and agreeing with our decision to marry was another point of doubt. We prayed together and talked for a bit, but in our time together then, I really fought reiterating my resolute confidence in what the Lord had done in me for the fear that it would make Christa mad or that it might convince her by something other than the Lord that marriage was right.
Immediately after our conversation, I was driven to my knees in a small bathroom and prayed one of the most fervent prayers I can remember. I cried out to God, tears came to my eyes and rolled down my face, and I got quite a headache from the passion the Lord gave me to call on His name. He reminded me and comforted me again in the promises He had made to me. During the time on my knees, the Lord brought back to my mind Romans 4:20-21, which says of Abraham’s faith, “Yet he did not waiver through unbelief regarding the promise of God, but was strengthened in his faith and gave glory to God, being fully persuaded that God had power to do what he had promised.” This Scripture became a passionate cry of mine earlier in the week, and the Holy Spirit gave me these words to ignite my faith again in what the Lord had done.
I prayed first that the Lord would forgive me for not speaking confidently and boldly to Christa about the lies she had been hearing. Then I asked specifically that the Lord would give Christa incomprehensible peace about our future and that He would move in that moment in the heart of her father to have a peace about marriage and to share that peace with Christa. The Lord led me to claim promises and pray against all doubts that Christa and I were experiencing. For one of just a few times ever in my life, I felt a faith from God so strong that I knew He would move in her father’s heart and remove all spirits of doubt from us. I also wrote the following down on a sheet of paper as a vow and prayer to God:
“I write this down because I know one day it will serve as a reminder of the Lord’s amazing power.
Christa came to me and told me she was doubting whether we should get married—her physical attraction to me, her emotional connection with me and her spiritual agreement that the Lord had ordained all of this.
I claim this to be a host of lies and know that the Lord will take care of it.”
I tried to go to sleep but was unable to because of all that was present in my mind and heart. Then I heard a knock on the door to my room and Christa opened it. We found a quiet place and I shared with her a little bit of what just transpired, namely the sin of me withholding confidence and speaking truth to her. We talked for a few minutes, and then went back to hanging with the family before dinner.
For about thirty minutes, I had no idea where Christa was and didn’t see her. Something assured me, however, that she was talking about her experience that day with her parents. When I saw Christa again, she talked with me in another room about why she was away for that time. She told me that she talked with her mom and dad and how that conversation served to illuminate the confidence that was in her heart. Her father had expressed to her that he had a peace about us getting married and gave his approval and blessing on our decision. Then, for the first time, Christa told me that she loved me. She also expressed that she didn’t know fully what that word meant, but that she was confident in the Lord’s call for us to get married.
To say the least, I was overwhelmed. The Lord had responded to my specific prayers and proven Himself, yet again, as faithful and amazing. At dinner that night, Christa’s father initiated a conversation with the whole family about Christa and I getting married. Christa shared details of the Lord’s work, and that night I experienced a night’s sleep that was uninterrupted and refreshing—two things that had not happened in quite some time.
posted by mcm at 11:23
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