Even If... (to the future Bride)

This is an incredibly scary time. Yes, I said it. It’s scary. As Christians, we are freed from our fear by the power of Jesus Christ.

I will be the first one to admit that I am terrified of what is to come. I am severely type A. I want to control everything in my life down to the last detail. Every part of this past year has been teaching me to surrender every part of my life to the Lord.

With coronavirus being a pandemic and social distancing, I made the difficult decision to postpone my bridal shower this weekend. Right after that decision… the big question keeps popping up over and over. Are you keeping your wedding date? Are you cancelling your wedding? Are you postponing? I could feel all of me holding SO tight.

Have you ever seen a baby cry and how tightly their little fists ball up. I imagine that is what I look like to the Lord right now. Like a baby crying out and holding tightly to my will and not His. Yeah, it’s not my proudest moment at all. But I want to be gut level honest.

It hurts. It hurts to think that I planned all of these months for a wedding that might not happen in the time frame I thought and planned. I know I am not alone in this. I can think of at least ten friends in my immediate life that are engaged right now and must be struggling with this too.

So to all of my future brides,

I am so sorry that you have to go through this. I am so sorry this is not the planning process that was placed into your mind since you were a little girl. I am so sorry that your bridal shower, wedding shower, and bachelorette are getting postponed or cancelled. I am sorry that fear has surrounded us and the unknown seems to be so deep and wide.

I am praying that your wedding is the fairytale and the absolute dream that you have always wanted.

After you take a good deep cry, I want you to give it to God. Now, that sounds like the most silly “Jesusy” thing ever, but take this one step with me. Trust in God, He knows. Our God is a Way Maker. He is a Healer. He is the Great I AM.

God can CHOOSE to heal. God can CHOOSE to make a way for all of this to clear up and social distancing to end. God can CHOOSE to allow everything in our lives to go back to normal. We have to trust in His power and His sovereignty.

There is one more thing though. BUT EVEN IF He doesn’t… we must choose to still praise Him. I know it hurts. I know, but read it again. God has the power to move mountains and to make a way from no way, but even if he chooses NOT to… GOD IS STILL GOOD. I am challenging myself to hold onto God tighter than I hold on to anything else in my life. I will hold on to God tighter than I hold on to my plans for my wedding, my bridal shower, and my bachelorette because ultimately His plans are better than mine.

I’m swimming in this biggest pool of “I don’t know” in my life, but I can finally rest because I have surrendered it to Christ. The one thing that I know more than anything else in my life is that God has never failed me and He won’t start now. I hope you join me in giving everything to Him. If you need anyone to pray over you or just listen to you, I’m here.

Just let me have a moment to pray over you:

Father God, I pray that the girl reading this right now feels a rush over her, that can only be a hug from You. I pray that You teach us to surrender everything that You have so graciously given us. I pray that Your will and not our own be done. God, I am terrified. I’m scared for the world right now and I pray that You heal everyone with the coronavirus on Earth or in Heaven. God, I pray for all the people being impacted directly by this virus. I pray for them peace. God, I pray that you give comfort to all of those who are missing out on their “firsts” and their “lasts.” I pray for those who are losing their last semesters of college, last semesters of high school, prom, graduations, and weddings. Lord, I pray that your will be done. I surrender everything to you, Lord. And God at the end of it all, I pray you give me the strength to praise You and believe that You are still and will always be good. I love you, Jesus. Amen.