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“But as for me and my house, we will serve the LORD.”
Joshua 24:15 (ESV)

God works in SUCH amazing ways! The way He brought Charlie and I together was just “wondermous.” The first time I saw Charlie was in 1971 when he was the opening act for Blood, Sweat, and Tears. We learned that he was blind as he was guided back on stage for our standing ovation!

Over the next twenty years, God orchestrated a miraculous chain of events to bring us together. In 1991 Charlie and I found ourselves face-to-face at his church picnic. We both knew that day that something wonderful had happened.

Charlie had given up a lucrative musical career in order to serve Jesus. After two failed marriages, I had chosen to given my life to the Lord, Who had redeemed my broken life. I had prayed and trusted that if God ever wanted me to marry again, He would guide me to a man who would put Jesus first and me second. My heart chose Charlie and he chose me only because God had chosen us to serve Him together. We were married just short of a year after that picnic, and five years later he was ordained to pastor a new congregation in our little city.

During the first two years of our marriage, we had two miscarriages and I lost both parents. Dashing our prayers for children, a few years later I had a hysterectomy. I sobbed uncontrollably – my most precious dream was to have a family! Charlie reminded me that I had touched the lives of countless children as a teacher, and that God had chosen me to be the mother of our little church family. Father knows best, and His family is eternal!

Two years after my hysterectomy, we learned that I had Cushing’s disease. God enabled the doctor to remove the pituitary tumor, resolving the disease. Once again, God chose to save my life.

Charlie and I served the Lord twenty years in ministry, and our love grew through every trial, as if to prepare me for the greatest trial of all. Charlie was nine years my senior, and he had heart problems and complications from surgery that eventually led to congestive heart failure and sepsis. The devastating shock and grief of Charlie’s death felt like an elephant was sitting on my chest.

The Sunday after the funeral, as my church family stood for worship, the words of the song gave me God’s plan for my overcoming:

He gives and takes away;

my heart will choose to say,

Blessed be the name of the Lord!

And now, as the sanctification process continues, God has asked me to serve Him alone. I now see marriage as a foreshadowing – a rehearsal of sacrifice and a symphony of love – an appetizer, if you will, for that Wedding Feast of The Lamb when we all shall be His Bride!

Lord Jesus, through marriage You have taught me to choose surrender, sacrifice, and service in love – so that I could taste the oneness that You have with the Father and Spirit. Help me continue to choose to serve You by serving Your children of all ages. In Your name I pray, Amen.