There was no doubt who today was about. While this couple did a great job of presenting the Gospel and sharing their testimonies, God honored their obedience and this was a beautiful wedding day for Donald and Marie. All week leading up to this day, Donald has been fairly relaxed and chill, so I’ve just been waiting for the storm to hit. As I sat with him this morning to put the finishing touches on his vows, I could see the nerves beginning to hit. It was cool to see how excited Donald got as the hours turned into minutes before he would marry Marie.
The wedding started around 4 pm Filipino time and everyone stood up to watch Marie enter. I know I’m supposed to watch the bride, but I love watching the faces of my friends as their bride appears. That has to be an unbelievable and a once in a lifetime moment. Part of me gets excited for that moment. The coolest thing about this wedding is that it has rained everyday for the past ten days. It hasn’t shown a sign of stopping. But when it was time for this wedding, which happened to be a garden wedding, the rain has been nowhere for the past 24 hours. Truly a miracle.
One thing the bride and groom wanted to do for their wedding was to share their testimonies. I’ve known Marie for a little while, but I never knew how she came to be this incredible woman she is today. As I listened to her story of disobedience to parents, lying, and ultimately, heartbreak, I saw a totally new side of her. Marie thought she knew exactly what she wanted. She left for the big city of Manila to get away from her family, “fell in love”, and wound up alone. She began looking everywhere for inclusion and wound up in a spiritist circle that came close to practicing some rather cultic beliefs.
Through the love of some of her closest friends in Manila, she learned her searching was in vain and she really needed to rely on one person to care for her, God. She repented of what she was becoming, apologized to her parents, and turned from the life that was before her. Upon returning home to Mindinao, Marie began to get discipled and was poured into regularly and eventually wound up meeting Donald. Not too long after, I had the pleasure of standing beside one of my close friends as he married his bride.
I consider it an honor to be with these two today, but I love even more being a part of their story. Marie has been through a lot to get here, and now she’s joining lives with such a solid man of God. These two have a lot ahead of them. God has done an incredible redemptive work to get them here, and now He’s going to continue His good work to make them a true power couple for the Lord.
