yesterday my brother-in-law ray got married.
it was a really bittersweet day, and hard for us--my sister, niece, and me.....we were SO there for ray, and are so happy that he has found another beautiful woman to have as his wife--really we are.....but--we miss my sister. my sister that was such a wonderful wife and mother.....my sister that lived--literally--for her family. it was her strong determination to show the Lord to her family that kept her alive for such a long time i think.....she was not ready to go until she knew that they would be ok, and strong in their faith so that they would run to God in comfort rather than run from him in anger....she wanted her family to be happy.....
when my sister died, ray was lost. he was so very sad, and so full of grief, and life was very difficult for him alone....he missed my sister so much--he missed her companionship.....but, i think that my sister's passing was the making of ray. it brought him to a place that he had never been before in his walk with God, and he now has a relationship with God that he never had before.....i believe my sister would have willing given her life to know that the growth she so longed for would happen--and it did! my brother-in-law is a changed man.....he was great before, but he is even greater now. in his brokenness he was made whole.
6 years ago becky's husband, doug, lost his battle with cancer and she too found herself alone. she is an amazingly beautiful spirit-led woman of God. she has a spiritual depth that is wonderful. my sister would have really liked becky. she would have been her friend.
God in his mercy, saw fit to give these 2 people a second spouse to share their lives with, and an opportunity to serve Him together. they both know what it is like to lose someone to cancer, to lose the love of their life. they both had wonderful marriages and they both know that there will be times when there will still be grief over their lost spouses--and they will beable to help each other though that time with grace and love. they have a freedom that i find amazingly complex and simple at the same time....there are no expectations to be like the first spouse. there are no ideas of "replacing" anyone....just another chance for happiness and love with another person. i think that they are pretty darned lucky.
5 comments:
God is so Good! I am happy for both of them.
Wow, that is a tearjerker....was there a dry eye at the wedding?
How lovely they will have each other to understand what they have been through and to support each other through the rest of their lives.
God bless and keep them.
Happy Sewing
kim,
no....there was not a dry eye at the wedding LOL it was really the coolest thing. her son is a pastor, he performed the ceremony. he talked about the first spouses, it really was a cool thing. ruth (my sister) and doug (becky's husband) were very present in that wedding in such a cool and open way--it really was a beautiful time. it is really comforting to know that my sister will always be a very open part of their lives....i think that i am gonna have to go share that on facebook--my nieces (my sister's daughters that have not accepted this marraiage) read that, not this...perhaps they can read that and find some comfort and healing in knowing how alive their mother still is and always will be--even in this new marriage....thanks for letting me "think outloud"--doing this blog is really for me to clarify my thoughts and feelings--i love it when people leave comments that keep me on the process of sifting and clarifying.
Lynne, what a sweet and beautiful love story. God is Great, all the time! Thanks for shating with us
They are not only lucky to have found each other, but to have you be so accepting of their relationship. Hoepfully the nieces will come around. I'm sorry that you lost your sister. My sisters (and brother) mean the world to me, and I don't know that I would be as gracious and positive as you are if I were to lose one of them. You are an inspiration.
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