When David Married Sarah || October 18, 2014

     David is my brother.  We've had hundreds of talks about getting married.  It's funny how you imagine that God will bring your future spouse into your life... & then it happens in a totally different way.  But you know it's right & good & wonderful, because it's just how God intended for it to be.  None of us would have ever dreamed that David would marry a girl who lived over 600 miles from us... in Canada.  None of Sarah's friends ever thought that she would marry a Southern boy from North Carolina.  What are the chances that they'd even meet?  Zero to none...  except, God.  God knew that these two imperfect people were perfect for each other.  He had a plan the whole time.  It depended some on the obedience of others & a lot on the obedience of David & Sarah.  See, either of them could have jumped ahead of God.  When they begin to pray about each other at the ages of 27 & 25, many of their friends & acquaintances had been married for years.  They could have so easily decided a long time ago that they just didn't want to wait.  That they'd pick out someone to date & eventually fall in love & marry.  But they waited.  They had faith in God's perfect plan even when it was hard.  They loved & trusted God first & he brought them to each other.  If God made you so specifically in HIS image, with unique strengths & weaknesses, with desires that HE placed in your heart, how could you not believe that he can direct you to the person that he has planned for you to marry?  The person that would best help you to carry out God's plan for your life.  We believe in a God that directs our lives down to the tiniest detail.  If we'll let him.

     And so, David met Sarah.  Eight years before he begin to pray for her.  But eventually, as God directed, He prayed about & for her.  He made trips to her church in New York slightly under the disguise of other things, but mostly for the purpose of being around her & getting to know her.  They talked... a lot.  David would say to me, "I've never been able to talk to a girl so easily.  We talk about everything."  Not only did they pray, they actually listened to what God was telling them.  Oh & I think they liked what he was saying. ;)  They skyped & messaged on facebook, & made long trips & chose to love each other.  They got engaged, while Sarah wore wellies & her family waited outside her sisters house.

     Then they waited... again.  You'd think after so many years of waiting that it'd be unfair to wait even a minute longer.  But I think these words from C.S. Lewis are true, 

“I do not know why there is this difference, but I am sure that God keeps no one waiting unless He sees that it is good for him to wait. When you do enter your room, you will find that the long wait has done you some kind of good which you would not have had otherwise. But you must regard it as waiting, not as camping. You must keep on praying for light: and of course, even in the hall, you must begin trying to obey the rules which are common to the whole house. And above all you must be asking which door is the true one; not which pleases you best by its paint and paneling.”

While their paperwork was being processed so that Sarah could marry & move to the U.S, they just waited.... & skyped, & messaged on facebook, & made long trips, & chose to love each other.  Until this day came!

October 18, 2014.  When they promised before God & witnesses to be faithful.

Sarah wrote thank you notes & did last minute things up until the minute she was supposed to walk down the aisle.

& these girls excitedly got ready to be flower girls while Uncle Dave married who they already liked to call, Aunt Sarah.

David waited a little nervously & a lot happily.

:)

There were sincere prayers for blessings on their lives.

There was hand holding for the first time.

There was singing.

There were ring mix ups.

As friends & family filled the room, & many others watched it being streamed online, there were tears.  People who never cry at weddings, cried at this one.  Because it was simply the sweetest, most beautiful & happy wedding we had seen.  All due to the fact that it was long awaited, prayed for not only by David & Sarah, but by all of us who love them, & brought together by God.

There was a first kiss

& a first {long} hug.

Then, Mr. & Mrs.

At the beginning, they had walked down the aisle towards each other, but now they walked away together.  As husband & wife.

Mr. Bissell came waving his chicken in front of the guys while they had to pose for pictures! lol!

Now really, have you ever seen such happiness?  I love this picture!  It's so real & happy!

They make each other laugh :D

“One of the remarkable things about love is that, despite very irritating people writing poems and songs about how pleasant it is, it really is quite pleasant.”

They look pretty good together too!

Sarah & her good friend, Christa.

The beautiful cake that Sarah's mom made!  Looked & tasted amazing!

They had these little papers for guests to write them a note, or give advice.  Somehow they got several notes that said "Name your first daughter Anna."  I may have mentioned it in my note to them along with other things, but apparently some very prominent people also felt that it was important. :p

They walked out of the church, under a shower of flower petals.

But this night, would be the first of many...

That they'd say goodbye to everyone else, but to each other, they'd say goodnight.

For the first time, they left New York together.  These two people who fell in love with God & he taught them to love each other!  They don't have to wait anymore & they don't have to be apart.

I've heard it said that, "God gives his best to those who leave the choice up to him."  David & Sarah are proof of just that.

-Anna