The Bridal Shop

My daughter and I went shopping today for her prom dress. What a fun afternoon that was! I love to shop with her and this was such a special occasion to shop for. Kate is a senior, so her last prom. We have done many "lasts" this year. As the school year winds down, one of those lasts is the big night of prom.

The first place we started for the perfect dress was a bridal shop (how things have changed since I was shopping for a prom dress)! :) The electricity in the atmosphere of a bridal shop is contagious. Girls looking for the dress for her wedding day...mothers and daughters and friends and sisters...I was excited for everyone in the place! I complimented the girls, who were gazing into the large mirrors, looking to see how the dress looked from the front, back, and side view. How's the neckline? What about the color? Too white, not white enough? Too much lace? Not enough lace? Camera phones were snapping pictures all over this open platform, mirrored area! How beautiful they looked. Dress after dress filled the fitting room area, which is out in the open for all to behold.

Just then, all the moms & daughters & sisters & friends turned their gaze to a flower girl, who was dressed in the most adorable princess dress. She flowed as she walked, with the "poofy" bodice of the dress and the glitter that shone in the light. This little one (around 6 years old) walked to the mirror with total confidence of who she was and how beautiful she looked. Her mother informed me that she was a "pro"~ she has done this once before! :) She walked past me and I said "Every girl needs a princess dress like that." Her mom smiled and said, "Oh yes". I was immediately thinking of how Jesus was seeing that little one...interceding on her behalf before the Father, that she would always know herself as His bride, His princess.

There were several young men in this area, waiting to see the dresses of their brides. They looked a little awkward, but smiles were on their faces....waiting to see...or maybe not even to see, but to anticipate which dress his bride may have chosen. I did think & actually say out loud, "I think this is the happiest place in this city"! I could have stayed there all day, admiring all the beautiful girls, who were planning for the most important day of all their lives. What else did they have on the list for today? Invitations, bridesmaid dresses, flowers, etc....all the details of planning a wedding.

So, I asked myself while I waited for my daughter to emerge from the fitting room:
"How am I planning for my wedding day~ the wedding supper of the Lamb?"
"Would others see the beauty of anticipation in my eyes?"
"Am I being prepared for my wedding day?"
"Do I realize how much my groom (the Messiah, Jesus) loves me?"
"Am I happy as a bride?"

I am so thankful for this experience today at the bridal shop. It has spurred in me a joy & excitement & anticipation for my wedding day...."Let us rejoice and be glad and give Him glory! For the wedding of the Lamb has come, and His bride has made herself ready." Revelation 19:7

Kate chose a gorgeous dress to wear to her senior prom. We may be having many "lasts" this year, but so many more "firsts" are to come!

The Sunshine Country

The Sunshine Country~ The title of a story found in Jon's reading text book a couple weeks ago. From reading the title, Jon and I concluded that this story was either about a country that had much sunshine :) or it was about heaven (the place we will go that will have the brightest sun possible--Jesus Christ himself)! We began to read the story and didn't need to read to far to discover that this title was referring to heaven, the sunshine country. Revelation 21:23 says, "The city does not need the sun or the moon to shine on it, for the glory of God gives it light, and the Lamb is its lamp."

As the story goes, a boy hears of a country called the "sunshine Country" where the sun never, never went down. The boy goes in search of this country~ which he believes is over the range of mountains near his home. He climbs higher and higher up the mountain, arrives at the top and looks down into a beautiful valley enclosed by mountains on all sides and flooded with May sunshine. As he begins to climb downward into the valley, he comes across a little cave dwelling. He enters it, needing some rest and shade and when he goes inside, he sees a little table with a book sitting upon it. Opening it, the boy read the words that were written on the first page:

"Whoever you are~ you who take this sacred volume in your hand~ read it with perseverance and attention, line after line. It shall teach you the Way that leads from this vale of tears to the country where there is no night and where the sun never goes down, the land of light and happiness eternal."

The young boy returns to this little cave week after week to read the words of this sacred volume. When he is away from the cave these words repeat in his head, "Line by line." And you can figure out the ending....he gives his life to the Lord Jesus and surrenders all to Him, obeying Him, longing to be in the sunshine country.

May we hear the Word, read it for ourselves with perseverance and attention, line after line, obey it that we may long to be in the sunshine country with our Glorious, Magnificent, Perfect, Lamb of God, who is the light!