My True Wedding Day

This post is a little wordy, but bear with me. :)
My granddaughters and their daddy's went to their church' annual Father-Daughter Banquet this year. They were both so beautiful. I am so happy that my son and son in law are teaching their daughters how they should be treated by men and pray that when it comes time to marry that they never settle but expect to be treated with respect and love. I pray for their future husbands. Pray they are growing into godly men, with no baggage, no regrets and learning from their own fathers how to treat their future wife.
So, my beautiful, growing too fast girls, wear beautiful dresses, have corsages and beautiful hair. And are made to feel special in ways only daddy's can manage to do.
                     My son and Sarah.

 

                                   My son in law and Claire.

I am soooo happy they have  these chances. They will be precious memories.

Anywoo, ;) Beside wanting to show off our precious little ladies. :D I also want to share one of the many times that God showed His never ending love for me.
I have never gone anywhere in my 54 years where I was able to truly dress up. That includes a wedding (my own).

This was my sister in laws wedding but because it was around the same time as we got married I call this our wedding photo. :) Maybe I should have worn some pants with the shirt. ;)

 
Let me tell you why that no longer bothers me like it used to.
 
About 8 or 9 years ago I was really having a hard time with that. Until I felt God telling me that "you have never had that in this life, but just wait till you get to heaven." I decided to try trusting that and not being sad whenever I heard of another occasion where a friend or whoever, was dressing up, or being celebrated.
I'm not clear on the year, but the month was September. I remember because a few months later my daughter in law asked if I was going to a Ladies Retreat that area churches were having. I said if she was, then I would.
The theme was The Bride of Christ. The first thing we saw when we entered the sanctuary at the beginning of the day was a banquet table set up and ladies came in wearing their own wedding gowns and sat at the table. There was an empty seat reserved for Jesus. The groom. The table was so lavish. Food heaped. The best china and linens. GORGEOUS!

I knew that God was showing me, "You are one of the brides. You think this is beautiful, the wedding banquet in heaven with Jesus and His bride, the church, is going to be more than you can even imagine." I believed it and still do!

 

 

 

 In his vision in Revelation 19:7-10, John saw and heard the heavenly multitudes praising God because the wedding feast of the Lamb—literally the "marriage supper"—was about to begin. The concept of the marriage supper is better understood in light of the wedding customs in the time of Christ.

These wedding customs had three major parts. First, a marriage contract was signed by the parents of the bride and the bridegroom, and the parents of the bride would pay a dowry to the bridegroom or his parents. This began what was called the betrothal period—what we would today call the engagement. This period was the one Joseph and Mary were in when she was found to be with child (Matthew 1:18; Luke 2:5).

The second step in the process usually occurred a year later, when the bridegroom, accompanied by his male friends, went to the house of the bride at midnight, creating a torchlight parade through the streets. The bride would know in advance this was going to take place, and so she would be ready with her maidens, and they would all join the parade and end up at the bridegroom's home. This custom is the basis of the parable of the ten virgins in Matthew 25:1-13. The third phase was the marriage supper itself, which might go on for days, as illustrated by the wedding at Cana in John 2:1-2.

What John’s vision in Revelation pictures is the wedding feast of the Lamb (Jesus Christ) and His bride (the Church) in its third phase. The implication is that the first two phases have already taken place. The first phase was completed on earth when each individual believer placed his or her faith in Christ as Savior. The dowry paid to the Bridegroom’s Parent (God the Father) would be the blood of Christ shed on the Bride’s behalf. The Church on earth today, then, is “betrothed” to Christ and, like the wise virgins in the parable, all believers should be watching and waiting for the appearance of the Bridegroom (the Second Coming). The second phase symbolizes the Rapture of the Church, when Christ comes to claim His bride and take her to the Father's house. The marriage supper then follows as the third and final step.

Attending the wedding feast will be not only the Church as the bride of Christ, but others as well. The "others" include Old Testament saints who are going to be raised at the Second Coming, as well as the martyred dead of the Tribulation. As the angel told John to write, “Blessed are those who are invited to the marriage supper of the Lamb” (Revelation 19:9). The marriage supper of the Lamb is a glorious celebration of all who are in Christ!

Remember I mentioned I knew the month was September when I felt God telling me that He had something so much better than anything this world can offer? Well, one of the leaders at the retreat said that the previous September is when she felt God leading her to organize this retreat. (For the very reason that I needed it) Because so many other Christian women needed to hear the same thing.
Talk about making me feel special!!! I love how God never leaves us. Never trivializes our pain. And always desires to show us how much He loves us. Don't you?
So long story short. Oops, too late?? Anyway, whenever the temptation comes up to feel sad, I remember that banquet table and Gods promise. And I'm happy again. :D
Blessings to all you beautiful ladies. And don't forget to look for the many ways God wants to show His love for you too.