a good story

I often see God as a brilliant author, manifesting His creative love through the story of our lives—a story with the hard chapters so inventively woven together with the joyful ones, the downfalls followed by victories, heartbreak followed by mending, and all on a trajectory towards intentionality. Seeing life this way allows me to process the occasionally bizarre yet beautiful parts of our story in a larger context. It also affords me the foresight to expect provision: God has written my story well thus far, why would I expect anything less of my future? I do not expect to circumnavigate all pain and difficulty, but I do expect the pages to continue turning and character to continue developing, and for something great to be born of these harder moments.

Becki and Ryan (my sister-in-law and new brother-in-law) most recently point out the brilliance of this author God to me (and truly as I look backwards, I appreciate the story line that much more!). Ryan and I hail from the same hometown and growing up, I would say he was my most kindred spirit (you know those types of friends). He went off to Notre Dame for school and I off to Baylor, where I met my fabulous husBen (and married him a week after we graduated). Ryan spent a few years in China post-graduation, then went back to undergrad to complete pre-med requirements, so we jump on any chance we get to spend a little catch-up time together.

Two Januarys ago, husBen and I headed to Rockport for a birthday weekend with my family and his, this time including his sister Becki and her two kids. I naturally invited Ryan (who lived in Rockport at the time) over for the birthday dinner as well. I must also include in this story line that Becki was fairly newly divorced at this point, with a rough chapter behind her and no idea of the creative turn ahead. She spent the majority of that evening tending to her kids, feeding them separately and putting them down, only to finally pull up to the dinner table as the rest of us started dessert. I do not recall sparks flying during the short time that Becki and Ryan spent in the same vicinity that evening…but within a few months (and lengthy emails later), the sparks ignited and these two redheads were fast in love.

Just two days ago, Ryan and Becki wed in Fredericksburg, TX. I sat there in glassy eyed awe as the ceremony unfolded. It all seemed so natural—Ryan standing up there with his {new} son, both with flaming red hair, waiting for his bride, my beautiful sister-in-law, to walk towards him down the aisle—the whole thing somehow wonderfully bizarre to me still.  Just think, how intentional were the paths in each our lives to bring us to this very moment!

Congratulations Ryan and Becki, and thank you for showing me Love’s goodness.