Malibu Pier–Site of the Johns/Donohue rehearsal dinner
At five AM I’m wide awake. I know my sleep is over, but I despise the thought of rising in the dark, so I lay there.
I toss, I turn,
until finally the crack in the curtain lightens. (California’s two hour time difference is a hard adjustment on a southern gal.)
We walk down to the coffee shop at six forty-five.
The preacher has to have his morning Java or three. Me? I’m a chi girl, a recent convert from hot chocolate.
The low din of casual conversations made a pleasant white noise in my ears. Make note, I rarely if ever actually hear a song playing in a restaurant, too busy socializing, mostly. But, slowly the background music seeped into my awareness:
“Lets go down to the river and pray, Oh brother let’s go down, come on down; come on brother lets go down— down in the river to pray. As I went down in the river to pray, studying about that good old way, and who shall wear that robe and crown, good Lord show me the way.”
Images flooded my head, of the white robed masses, walking, and singing as they approached the waters for a huge baptismal scene. (From the movie, O Brother Where Art Thou).
The song, a not so subtile reminder, a gentle nudge—-
I should have started my morning with a prayer instead of just now remembering. This is such a milestone weekend. How could I forget, with a beautiful and joyful wedding approaching, in lightning speed?
But as always, I’m reminded I’m very human and fallible, but the Lord is patient with me.
Oh Lord, Bless my children
Bless their new marriages
Help them to know that their young love is worth fighting for
Even when the world says it’s not.
When times are great— receive their prayers of thanks.
When times are tough—stretch your hand over their prayers giving them strength and perseverance.
When times are stressful—grant their prayers for peace.
Help them to learn to fight fairly, play frequently, love deeply.
Help them to realize early on, that there is no room for:
selfishness
stubbornness
or grudges.
Help them to trust that you are always there to help them, through the darkest of times,
which will come.
But help them to know it makes the sun shine even brighter,
when they emerge hand in hand on the other side.
***************
I Peter 3:7 (NLT) In the same way, you husbands must give honor to your wives. Treat your wife with understanding as you live together. She may be weaker than you are (physically), but she is your equal partner in God’s gift of new life. Treat her as you should so your prayers will not be hindered.
-Make a point to pray for marriages daily, whether it is your own, that of others, or newlyweds you know.