Looking back to my early courtship days, I am reminded of several things. Can you tell that I have been reading a lot of historical fiction books with that word "courtship"? My soon-to-be husband was going to electronic school in Iowa which was a three hour drive from our hometown. This of course was before the days of texting and skyping so we were limited only to letters and one phone call a week for communication.. Forty five years ago you had to pay dearly for each minute you spoke on the telephone and with a college budget our conversations were very short! Also heaven forbid I called him, because good girls did not do that! I remember anticipating my groom's call on Sunday afternoon and praying that my brothers and parents had other things to do but to hear my conversation. The call was taken in the living room on our, one and only, olive green wall hung phone. The good news it was a rotary dial and not a crank one, just so you know that I'm not that old! I practically sat on that telephone waiting for the phone to ring on the expected day. Then sure enough the phone would ring and I would be encouraged by hearing his voice for another week.
Visits by him were made every other weekend because after all, gas was a whopping $.39 a gallon! Jeez Louise! On Friday night, I would begin looking at the farm's entrance gate anticipating his arrival and sometimes commanded my post for hours before he got there! My brothers would come by and tease me relentlessly about my watch dog position. But eventually, there he would be, unhooking the gate, and driving his car up the lane to our home. My bridegroom had finally arrived!
Even after all these years I still find myself awaiting another bridegroom to arrive, Jesus Christ Himself, THE BRIDEGROOM. In Revelations 19:6-7, John says: "Then I heard what sounded like a great multitude, like the roar of rushing waters and like loud peals of thunder, shouting: "Hallelujah! For our Lord God Almighty reigns. Let us rejoice and be glad and give him glory! For the wedding of the Lamb has come and his bride has made herself ready." (NIV)
My mentoring question for us today is this: Are we watching and preparing ourselves for His return? Do we await anxiously for Him to arrive through the gate? Just how do we do that? By keeping our eyes on the prize, by persevering in trials, by reading His word, and making sure we tell others of our Bridegroom's sacrifice for each one of us. If you want to read an interesting parable, Matthew 25:1-13 tells the story of the Ten Virgins and the Bridegroom. Christ ends the story in Matthew 25:13 "Therefore keep watch, because you do not know the day or the hour." John also tells us: "He who testifies to these things says, "Yes I am coming soon." Amen. Come, Lord Jesus. (Revelations 22:20, NIV) I can't wait! How about you?
Here is a card I designed to send out for one of this month's weddings. The cake embellishments were from a Martha Stewart Collection with a bow added and the words from a vellum book of sayings.
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