The season before
Two years ago, in the month of August during Jamaica’s Independence celebrations, I met my husband, but I had no idea that he was the one. Looking back, I love this narrative because it makes for a good opening line to the rest of our lives.
Darren was the friend of a friend and we both met because of her. At an annual casual independence barbeque, friends and acquaintances settled in the sitting room to share stories of life. No one thought more of that gathering, yet later that year in November, I went on the first date with my future husband and was in a relationship with him by January of the following year.
I had always desired marriage since I could remember. I learnt about the stability of a family, and my parents were a great example. But I didn’t come close to marriage until I was in my thirties. Let me just say that I am, however, truly grateful because I have seen the reasoning and purpose of God in all of this. His timing is certainly not ours.
It was November of last year that my future husband proposed in front of a congregation and my family, all gathered at a marriage seminar. Let’s just say I was absolutely in the dark and as such was beautifully surprised by this. Plans for our wedding commenced and as we played with dates we settled on 27th July 2019.
Prayer and fasting
As if God was just awaiting this proposal, on that very night we won wedding coordination services. One day the Lord brought to my mind that he would give me the wedding of my dreams. Not certain that God cared anything about the details of a wedding beyond the vows, I convinced myself that I might have just wanted to hear that and so had told myself this.
As we planned for the date, it became apparent that our dear wedding coordinator would also be wedded on the same date. Now we were caught in a dilemma as we both shared some pertinent guests. Putting it to prayer and in need of a seamless day, we decided to move our date to a week later during the Jamaican holidays.
Moving towards this date, planning a wedding on our budget soon seemed to become a challenge. I saw God in everything as friends, family and church stepped up to provide whatever help they could. I have two Christian mentors, and both prophesied of God’s hand on this day. I believed, but I still didn’t know what God had planned.
Two persons offered to contribute towards our venue without even needing to be present. Pulling all our resources and discounted offers together, we were still looking at a bill we could hardly afford. We had cut our list, but the cost of a wedding was beginning to take its toll.
We opened two bridal registries—one at an investment bank and another at a renowned furniture store. Noting that this moved very slowly and uncertain whether we would get anything from them, we paid them little mind. Overwhelmed with the planning, I suggested to my future husband that we do a two-day fast and prayer about this wedding. We were certain God was in this marriage. However we didn’t know what to do about the wedding coming up in about a month.
Favoured and graced
God said a couple of things, but foremost he told Darren to re-do the budget and not to worry because it would be covered. “The Lord is my shepherd, I lack nothing (Psalms chapter 23, verse 1, NIV). We took this word, still having no clue how God’s promise would manifest.
On Thursday of that week, I was speaking to Darren while at work about our wedding as he had just met with the caterer/decorator at the venue and the final price was just out the roof. We decided to further cut our list when I got a call from the renowned furniture store. Exercising call waiting, I answered and was extraordinarily advised that we had won our wedding for free!
Now what I had failed to mention earlier while signing-up for bridal registry at that store to avoid possibly ruining the surprise, was that they had just launched a wedding competition and I was the first entrant. Though happy I had entered, I had never won anything that big, so I was not too hopeful considering the competition was island wide.
“Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us, to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, for ever and ever! Amen (Ephesians chapter 3, verses 20–21, NIV).
Back to Darren - my mind was completely blown! We could hardly believe it. We had won our whole wedding, expenses paid and all we needed to do was tell the store what we wanted. Of course, there were a few hitches. But even then, we trusted God and he worked out the lumps of differing dates, venues and wedding guests. We even got refunds from payments we’d made prior and today we owe no bills. Jesus indeed paid it all. I still marvel at this each day.
Proven
God can do anything for you. He is not limited to our space and time or thoughts. He is the God over everything “I am the LORD, the God of all mankind. Is anything too hard for me?” (Jeremiah chapter 32, verse 27, NIV).
…and we also won our honeymoon and a few more gifts too.
Kimberley Morgan Salmon is a praise and worship leader who remains passionate about touching hearts through singing and writing as she strives to become a published author of Christian women’s fiction. She loves the Gospel of Jesus Christ and is grateful for God’s saving grace which continues to transform her life.