“For this reason a man will leave his father and mother and be united to his wife, and the two will become one flesh.” Ephesians 5:31

Bittersweet

Part 1

Walk His Way Revisited

We attended a wedding this summer for my best friend’s daughter and her husband-to-be, whom we grew close to over the past few years. The wedding was a beautiful affair, just like out of a storybook, except for the heavy burden on everyone’s hearts that day. The groom’s father was not present on this very important day. He had been in a heartbreaking car accident eight months prior. He survived crushed bones, comas, damaged organs and many complicated surgeries to save his life. We saw miraculous prayers answered over the course of his two-month ordeal in the hospital and they were preparing to take him home to rehabilitate. After all the miracles we’d witnessed, he unexpectedly passed away quickly due to an infection.

I tell this story not to make you feel sad, but to share what I observed on that June wedding day. Not a dry eye was present when the bride put on the groom’s finger his father’s wedding band, which still had a cut in it from the accident. It was no longer a perfect circle but a strong symbol of his father’s love being passed down to his son. For me, one of the most beautiful parts of the wedding reception was the solo dance between the groom and his mother. After spending the day fighting back tears, this brave mother boldly accepted her son’s strong arm leading her to the dance floor. The room got very quiet except for the music playing in the background. This mother courageously stood tall and danced proudly holding her arms around her son’s shoulders. She not only danced, but she sang a beautiful song out loud to her son in their native Croatian language, as if singing new life into her son.

I didn’t know a word of the song until today when I asked the groom about the meaning. I began to cry as I read the words he shared with me, realizing how important the words were. No wonder this memory is one I can’t stop thinking about. He said the song is called “Sine moj” by Thompson and he said it basically translates to “My Son” and says, “My son, in your travels in life, let God guide you. If you do that, you will carry on your legacy. Only faith has saved me. I loved God and in return He gave me you, my son.”

In spite of her own grief as a wife, she knew as a mother this was her opportunity to infuse hope into her son and to usher him into the manhood he was intended to have—to be a strong husband, just like his father. On this important day, this mother chose to be stoic towards her grief, despite the difficult circumstances of the past year.

I often think of this dance. When circumstances in life get complicated and not what we expected, we too have a choice to be brave and instill hope in others. As believers, we have this hope deep in our hearts. God, despite His own love for His Son, gave Him to us so we too could have everlasting life. Let’s choose well in this life and as women, let’s stand tall and brave and fight for our loved ones each day in love and never-ending prayer!

“Rejoice always, pray continually, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus” (1 Thessalonians 5:16-18).

Oh Father, give us Your unending, unlimited strength to do the hard things.