I'm Getting Married!!

This afternoon, my brother (of course, not my biological brother as I do not have any of those but still...I count him as my brother), came by for a brief visit. As he was leaving, he told me to have fun these last 3 days as a free woman. Granted I am not getting married on Wednesday, I do not have feel as though I'm going to be bound in chains & misery once N.P. arrives here nor after our marriage. My life (& N.P.'s) is about to change drastically. When I think of the many changes headed our way, I do not view them as chores, duties & drudgery. No, I think of getting to be married to him, getting to serve him & care for him as a honor, a privilege & a blessing from the very One who has given him to me. I write now because I know I will have no spare moment to do so before the wedding.

Almost seems surreal that in 3 short days, I will be at the airport picking up my future husband & in the coming days, we'll be busy getting everything prepared for our wedding day. There was a time in life when I questioned whether or not I'd ever see such a day. I've shared before but will do so again...I did not date in high school, I did not date after high school. I had interests but it was never mutual with any guy. I went on a few dates in my mid-20's & each was short-lived. One date was all it took for me to know that to continue on would be a waste of my time, their time & above all, the Lord's time. I was not interested in dating just to date or seeing someone just for the sake of having a boyfriend. My belief from a young age had been that if I were to date, it was with the purpose of marriage in mind. If I could not envision the guy as a potential mate for the future, no need in continuing on. My standards have always been high & I've never been willing to compromise on them. When others would tell me that I was too picky, I kept going back to the same thing.."I will not settle. I will not take less than God's best for me. When I stand at the altar one day to say 'I do' to someone, it will be for life. It will not be I do just until you make me mad a few months in & then I'm leaving you. No, I do means forever." I've been through the phase of watching the majority of my friends marry & have children by now. I'd sit on the sideline longing, praying, wishing & hoping - never willing to just give in for temporary happiness though. Thankful that through poor decisions, God's hand of protection was upon me leading me to do that which was right. Wait. Trust. Pray.

To marry at 34 is a bit unusual here in the U.S. I believe. Most, marry when they are younger. Obviously, that was not the Lord's plan for my life. In His good & perfect timing, He has not only allowed N.P. & I to meet & grow in love in the strangest of ways but He is bringing N.P. to me very soon. Wedding preparations have been taking place rapidly & yes, I'm tired. Invitations have been mailed out. My best pal has hired someone to play my favorite instrument at the wedding.My longtime friend is set to sing. The cake has been picked out as well as the flavor(s). My aunts are working on tabletop decorations. The florists has been paid & will do a fantastic job with the flowers I'm sure. The guys have been fitted for their tuxes. My bridesmaids have their dresses. Everything is getting done. As I have tried my dress on & looked at myself in the mirror, I've envisioned the look upon N.P.'s face when he sees me come into view as I walk down the aisle. I am not a girly girl. I do not like getting dressed to the nine & being wined & dined at fancy restaurants. That's not who I am. No, I am the girl happy to wear jeans, a t-shirt & eat relaxed at a burger joint. Yet, I'm hoping that on our wedding day, I'll look my very best & that N.P. will be blown away by, yes, outward beauty that day (thankfully for me, he finds me beautiful all days regardless as to how I look. In fact, he's asked before why I put make-up on & said I don't need that stuff). I know that most likely, some kind of glitch will occur during the day. That does not & will not matter. What will matter is that at the end of the day, I will be Mrs. Narayan Prasad Sharma. Though we want a beautiful wedding ceremony & pray that Christ is glorified in all that is said & done, our prayer is that in the days, weeks, months & years that follow; Christ would cause our love for one another to grow & flourish even more so. Our prayer as a couple is that He would use our marriage to be a reflection of His love to a lost & dying world.

So, as N.P. will arrive in just a few days & April 12 quickly approaches, I once again give thanks to God for His amazing son, N.P. Thank You, Father, for blessing me with this man who is passionately pursuing you & will lead me & our future family to do the same. Lord, please grant safe travels as N.P. makes his way here this week. Put a hedge of protection around him as he comes. May he be in good health & well-rested. Lord, may these days leading up to the wedding be a very special time for relationships & friendships to blossom between N.P. & so many. God, we ask You to be at the center of everything we do & who we are as individuals & as we become one. Lord, use us as You see fit. Thank You for the love You have given us which in turn, allows us to love one another. Continue to let these weeks of preparation & planning go smoothly but let not our eyes be turned away from You. May we say, "Blessed be the Name of Our Lord." Amen.