When you were a child did you dream of your wedding day? I remember playing dress up and changing my last name to match up with my crush at the young age of 12 years old. I even practiced writing my name over and over on a notepad trying to perfect my handwriting. It’s funny how I can vividly remember these desires that were within me at such a young age. Where did those desires come from?

This past weekend my family traveled in for the wedding of my best friend’s daughter. My oldest and I arrived early and made our way to save our seats. The Wedding Coordinator and her team were working diligently to finish up the final touches. I loved what I witnessed. There was a flower box resting on the steps of the gazebo full of white rose petals. They opened the box and began to grab handfuls of the rose petals and placed them along the inside aisle on both sides.  The wind picked up and began to scatter the rose petals away from their desired location. The sweet lady whispered, “Please wind… stop blowing, this is Chandler’s dream.” I love that I got to witness some of Chandler’s deepest desires and dream come true.

The wedding got underway with one of the Pastor’s that helped shepherd this beautiful bride when she was just a young girl. He pastored my precious children too. It melted my heart to get to see him have the honor of unifying these two as one. He stood on a crate during the most important part of the ceremony, with laughter coming from the congregation understanding his humor, so the groom could look him into his eyes. He said, “I want you to truly hear and understand the importance of these words.”

“Dear friends, let us love one another, for love comes from God. Everyone who loves has been born of God and knows God. Whoever does not love does not know God, because God is LOVE.” 1 John 4:7-8

Did you catch that truth? Love comes from God. The desire that was present within my heart as a young child was there because God gave it to me. He gives it to all of us. Our world paints love as a fairy tale, a princess dancing with her prince, where our emotions are wrapped up in how we feel. It’s as fleeting as the rose petals that get tossed and scattered by the wind. God’s love is not like that at all. God’s love is selfless, not self-serving.

“This is how God showed his love among us. He SENT his one and only Son into the world that we might live through him. This IS LOVE; not that we loved God, but that HE LOVED US and sent his Son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins. Dear friends, since God so loved us, we also ought to love one another.” 1 John 4:9-11

In Bob Goff’s Everybody Always, he states it like this; “Love isn’t something that we fall into; love is someone we become. As the ceremony continued my thoughts raced back to my very own wedding day. I love the dreams that became a reality for me on December 19, 1998, but I love who we have become even more.

My groom has learned the art of self-less love. He wakes up to serve his girls daily. I pray that our daughters have watched him adore his bride. I pray they have watched their Pops adore their Mimi. Love has been modeled well for them. This is the love that last a lifetime. It grows stronger by the second when it’s rooted like God designed. I am so grateful that I paid attention to the character trait that replicates God the most when choosing the man to spend the rest of my life with. If you find a man with humility, who thinks less of himself and more about others, you have found someone that will love you well. I love my groom. He’s become even more than I ever dreamed he would be. Dreams really do come true!

Best wishes to Jakob and Chandler Damstra. I know I witnessed something special with the two of you long before you said I do. With God by your side, your love for one another can’t help but grow stronger and stronger. Be blessed as you become a blessing of love to all who witness your union! Go and love each other and others well.