March 8, 1998. 25 years ago today. I woke up early and prepared for a busy day fixing breakfast for a house full of people before I headed to Roberta United Methodist Church where I taught Sunday School and led Sunday worship. My sermon must have been rather forgetful because I do not remember the scripture or the title. I then went to the parsonage where I prepared lunch for a house full of people. A couple of hours later, I headed back to church for an important event: I was getting married. On March 8, 1998, I stood before God, family, friends, and a beautiful woman named Lora Ann and vowed that I would “love, honor, and cherish” her till we are parted by death.
After the wedding and
the reception, we headed to the parsonage and our new home together. The house was filled with our children and
family. It was a crazy time as we
prepared to head out to spend our wedding night at the Hilton in Charlotte
before we headed to the Charleston area for our honeymoon. First, I backed the van into
the side of the house. Fortunately, little damage was done to the car or house. After that, in the excitement of
the day I locked the car keys in the van and we had to wait on a locksmith
before heading on our way.
We finally arrived at the Hilton off of Tyvola Road in Charlotte. We had a lovely room with a balcony and a platter of fruit and chocolates. After dinner at a nearby restaurant, we returned to our hotel room. Shortly thereafter, Ann and I changed into our sleepwear. As we sat on the couch in the suite, I did what few men do on their wedding night as they sit near their beloved: I opened the Bible and began to read. I read the following passage of scripture from Genesis 33: 1-10:
When Jacob looked off in the distance,
there was Esau coming toward him, accompanied by 400 men! So Jacob divided
Leah’s children, Rachel, and the children of the two servants into separate
groups.[a] 2 Then he positioned the
women servants and their children first, then Leah and her children next, and
then Rachel and Joseph after them. 3 Then he went
out to meet Esau,[b] passing in front of all of them, and bowed low
to the ground seven times as he approached his brother. 4 Esau ran to meet
Jacob and embraced him. Then he fell on his neck and kissed him. And they
wept. 5 When Esau
eventually looked around, he saw the women and the children. “Who are these
people[c] with you?” he asked. “The children, whom God has graciously given[d] your servant,” he answered. 6 Then
the women servants approached, accompanied by their children, and bowed low. 7 Leah
also approached, and she and her children bowed low. After this, Joseph and
Rachel approached and bowed low. 8 Then Esau asked,
“What are all these livestock for?” “To
solicit favor from you,[e] sir,”[f] Jacob answered.
9 But Esau replied, “I already have so much, my
brother, so keep what belongs to you.” 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 I read the passage, Ann unwrapped a small gift I had for her. When she opened it, she found a necklace with a heart on it. On the heart, I had a local jeweler inscribe the following words: “I see the face of God in you.”
25 years later, those
words still ring true for me. The grace, goodness, and generosity of Ann
toward me and many others continues to show me the face of God. I am
a blessed man and am so grateful to God.
With an open heart, I suspect that there is someone in your life in who
you see the face of God. Give thanks to
God for them, and go seek to be the face of God to someone else. Have a joy-filled week.- Pastor Randy Wall
PRAYER
-- O God, thank you for persons around us who give us glimpses of you and
your love. Through your grace and the
power of the Spirit, help us to go and
do likewise; through Christ our Lord. Amen.
