This weekend we hopped in the car
and drove to New York State to attend a wedding.
The daughter of one of my closest friends was getting married.
The weekend weather forecast was perfect…..for Friday.
The wedding was scheduled for Saturday afternoon. We checked the weather bug on the iPhone many times. Thunderstorms, 15-25 mph winds, and 100 percent chance of rain for Saturday was forecast…every time we looked.
We awoke on Saturday morning to dark, heavy clouds, loud claps of thunder, and driving rain. My heart was as heavy as those clouds.
As with every wedding there are countless details and planning that goes in to making the day absolutely perfect. This one was no different. Except that most of it was planned to be outside, and no wedding planner can plan the weather. The couple had chosen a B&B with a beautiful barn in a lovely location for their special day. They planned to exchange their vows outdoors. Then invite the guests to enjoy a meal in the festively decorated barn, followed by lawn games outside. The final event was a bonfire and s’mores. Truly an outdoor event where perfect weather was needed.
It rained hard all morning.
Taking advantage of being in the area, I met with a friend briefly on Saturday morning. I told her about the wedding plans and she immediately began to pray a bold prayer for the weather to clear and for there to be sunshine for the wedding that afternoon. I prayed a prayer of agreement.
Later that morning the mother of the bride phoned me. During the conversation she told me she had not been able to pick goldenrod for the barn, because of the rain. As the conversation closed I mentioned that my friend and I had prayed earlier, and to trust that the sun would come out for the wedding.
Our eyes were on those heavy, steely gray clouds as we drove that afternoon to the wedding. The rain ceased and I was able to pick goldenrod from the vast fields of it on the countryside. As we continued on our route we noticed there were a few breaks in the clouds. These breaks grew a little larger the closer we got to our destination. Eventually we saw small spaces of beautiful bright blue in the midst of those gloomy gray clouds.
Though the sky all around us was cold and gray and threatening…
we did not lose hope.
We trusted God would provide those bits of the gorgeous blue we began to see making their move towards Chautauqua Lake.
The joyful couple repeated vows they had written. Exchanged rings. And were pronounced husband and wife.
And the sun shone.
Can you see it streaming in the window behind the pastor?
Yes, I believe God hears and answers my prayers. Do I always get what I ask for? No I don’t.
I will say, that as we drove to the wedding under those threatening skies, I thanked God for answering our prayer, despite the evidence, I watched expectantly to see the clouds part and the rays of the sun shine through. My eyes teared up when the road turned and we started seeing those bits of empyrean blue above. Our hearts were filled with gratitude.
Thank you Lord, for blessing Rachel and Brian, faithful servants of yours, with an amazing change in the weather. May they always remember how you parted the clouds on their wedding day. And may it serve as a small reminder of your love and care for them as they seek to weather the unplanned storms ahead, in your power and in your grace. In the Name of Jesus, amen.
After the ceremony we stepped outside. I took a picture of the sun.
Just to remember the goodness of the Lord.
Do you have a great wedding story to tell?
Did you ever pray and ask God for something that seemed impossible?
Joy Day! A day we give thanks for God’s goodness in our lives.
Will you join me in thanking God for His goodness and then counting these very special gifts, He places in our lives?
I’ll start….here are just seven from my week:
- Relaxing on Labor Day with my husband
- The thoughtfulness of a friend
- Creative tapestry of color and texture in the fields
- Warm hospitality
- A faithful camera
- LOVE…
- Safe travels
Now, it’s your turn!
Leave a counting of your week’s gifts in the comment section below. I love to hear from YOU!
May your week be filled with Extraordinary Joys!
Diane
Will you join me here next week for Joy Day? Find ONE THING to be thankful for each day, write it down, and share it here next week. You might also like to take the Joy Dare at A Holy Experience.
Linking to: Spiritual Sundays + The Wellspring + A Holy Experience + My Fresh Brewed Life + A Rural Journal + Heartprints of God
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
Thanks so much for reading!
Please stop by Longaberger Lifestyle
A lovely basket to be filled with JOYS discovered!!
God is so faithful to answer our prayers. So thankful the Sun shined on the wedding.
Oh Barbie, you’re right! He is faithful!!
Hope your week is Extraordinary!
This is such a nice post, Diane! The wedding sounds lovely, and I am so glad that you experienced an answer to your prayers and that you publicly gave God all the credit!
Btw-Your photographs are beautiful!
Awwwww… thanks Susan!!! It was lovely. And the spirit of the day was truly beautiful. 😀
Weather can make a wedding problematic or beautiful. It snowed on our wedding and some people had trouble getting to the wedding. On our honeymoon we were on a car ferry on Puget Sound. In the dark it was snowing, we saw Christmas lights and heard singing on the islands. So, special!
Sheila, though it may not be what you hoped or planned for….it sounds absolutely lovely. A Christmastime wedding sounds wonderful!!
I believe it’s good luck when it rains on one’s wedding day. But I’m glad it brightened up. Lovely photos!
Nancy, I’ve heard about the good luck with rain too. That must have been the glass is half-full kind of person that invented that saying! When one is blessed with rain….might as well see the good side. 😀
I’m a nut when it comes to photos….always hoping that I catch a good one. At first I was disappointed that the bride/groom photo was out of focus….and then I realized it was perfect for my post. Love a bit of serendipity. 😀
So glad this prayer was answered with sunshine. Thank you for sharing this.
Blessings,
Charlotte
Yes, Charlotte….God is sooo good!!!
Thanks for stopping by. Wishing you an extraordinary week!
God is so good! He does ask us to be ‘anxious about nothing!’ I just got married this past January and during the whole year that we were planning the wedding my mother was very concerned about the possibility of a snow storm that would keep guests away, as many of our guests were traveling from out of state to attend our nuptials. So we prayed for clear skies for over a year – I didn’t even care if it was bitterly cold, just no snow! Well let me tell you, God blessed us with GORGEOUS WEATHER! It was upper 40’s and full sunshine – at the end of January! We were even able to take photos outside without freezing. The Lord is indeed good to those who trust in Him!
Oh Sara-Marie thank you for sharing your heart-warming answer to prayer. What a wonderful way to begin your new life together. God is indeed good. All the time!!
Wishing you An Extraordinary weekend!!
Wow, so glad it turned out well. Thank you for sharing!
Me too!!! Thanks for stopping by Liz!!
Wishing you an Extraordinary week!!!