The Face of God

It happened on a Sunday.    After teaching Sunday School and leading worship,  I went home and prepared a quick, light lunch for a house filled with family and guests.   In the middle of the afternoon that day, I stood before the same altar in the same church where I preached earlier  before family and friends and Almighty God and told the most beautiful woman in the world, my wife Ann, that I would “love, honor, and cherish” her.    The ladies of the church did  a fine job as the hostesses for our wedding reception with food that was only exceeded in its goodness  by such a fine assembly of people. 

After the wedding reception, Ann and I  went to the parsonage and opened the many gifts and cards from so many well-wishers.   As Ann and I prepared to leave the parsonage for a wedding night in a Charlotte hotel and a week in the Charleston area, we met with some challenges that were all my fault.  First, I backed our van into the side of the parsonage.  Secondly, I locked the car keys inside the van and had to call a locksmith to retrieve them.    After that, we headed to a Charlotte hotel where we were to spend our wedding night.  After getting checked into our room and dinner at a local restaurant, we returned to our hotel room to settle down for the night.   That is when I need something that perhaps not many grooms do on their wedding night.   I took out my Bible and read the following words to my new bride from Genesis 33:10 which says:   

¹⁰ “Please,” Jacob implored him, “don’t refuse. If I’m to receive favor from you, then receive this gift from me, because seeing your face is like seeing the face of God, since you have favorably accepted me.

After reading that verse, I gave Ann, my new bride, the gift of a gold  chain with a heart on it.  On that heart, I had the jewelry store inscribe these words:    “To see your face is to see the face of God”.    18 years later,  Ann still wears that chain with the heart inscription.  18 years later, I still see the face of God in her each and every day.     18 years later, my daily  hope and prayer is that others might see the face of God in me.  Have a joy filled week.-  Pastor Randy Wall

Prayer:   O God, thank you for the gift of the wonderful gift of marriage.  Thank you, God, for the people who show us the face of God in their words and deeds.  Help us to strive to do the same;  through Jesus Christ our Lord.  Amen.