God’s plan for our lives is so intricately woven into our destiny, and His trademark is written all over it, even if we might not see it right away. But every time we come to that realization, we are comforted and strengthened in our walk with Him, recognizing His design in our purpose on this earth. Today was one of those mornings that led me to one of those experiences of gratitude and a heart of submission to the Grand Creator.
My husband, C’s family carries a rich heritage; his great-grandfather was one of the first few pastors in Vietnam, and his missionary work helped carry the gospel to many villages in the early 20th century. He met my C’s grandfather when he was on a missionary excursion to North Vietnam, and their love and passion to serve God quickly brought the two together. Grandfather followed great-grandfather back to the south with him, where he was mentored, and they spent time doing ministry and worshipping together. Grandfather fell in love with great-grandfather’s daughter, and they got married, and the rest is history.
That’s a great story in its own, but for those of you who actually know me, you might have already discovered the uncanny similarities between that story, and the story of C and me. C was my father’s friend first, before he was mine. They met when my father preached at his bible college, and they became strong friends. My father loves C as a son just as C loves and respects my father, and calls him a mentor. C and I met when he visited my family on a mission trip, and that’s how we became friends. Five years down the road, we got married and we’re not celebrating our first anniversary (yay!).
Perhaps to you, that’s just a crazy coincidence, but to us, it’s a mark of God’s blessing over our families, bringing us together for His glory. It’s a strong reminder that our lives are not for ourselves, nor is it for our own pleasure and satisfaction, but that He has brought us together in order that we might know Him and follow Him and live out the rich inheritance He has given to us, and be fully assured that He holds our world in our hands. It is also the strongest assurance that our marriage is ordained by God, that we may cling on to Him and to each other till the day He takes us home to be with Him.
