Wandering into Wonder

Thursday, September 28, at 2:22 in the afternoon, will begin a yearlong celebration of an event that altered the course of human history.

At that stroke of the clock, Dr. Tom Madden, Pastor of the First Baptist Church of Tullahoma, Tennessee, said, “I now pronounce you husband and wife. You may kiss your bride.”

At that precise moment this coming Thursday, Jan and I will take our first breath in our fiftieth year of marital bliss. To be transparent, that first month or so was blissful. And there were plenty of periods of euphoria in the years that followed. But all was not blissful. Some periods were more blistering. That’s what happens when your new shoes are the wrong size.

I was the wrong size to be a spouse. That is, my maturity on that day was less than adequate to compensate and adjust my attitude to live in harmony with anyone other than myself. And I was not doing a great job at that. I am eight years older than Jan. I had a disappointing academic encounter. I spent almost four years in the US Army, where they did what they could to make a man of me.

But a force was working on me, fully capable and patient enough to see a worth I could not see. Jan saw it. That force was the amazing grace of God. I came wandering into this grace more than launching into it. I was eleven years old, almost twelve, when I was baptized by the First Baptist Church of Jeffersonville, Indiana. Mine was a mustard seed-sized faith. Holding what Sunday School had taught me, I understood virtually nothing of what I knew. I came to Jesus. And he took me.

I wandered through life seeking and continued aimlessly through my days seeking. The sun always shone, and the moon watched over me. The rains came in adequate amounts to keep vegetation green. But I occasionally kicked a skunk. And, often, stepped into gopher holes. Today, my wandering is filled with wonder and far more intentional.

God allowed me to wander, knowing he had a destination for my wandering. To Him, I was not wandering; I was His, and He was taking care of His name written over me.

That is how I came to Janice Elaine Williams, wandering toward His destination. Other than my walk with Jesus, my walk with Jan is the most potent expression of His love for me. My union with Jan is my most cherished expression of the working of His grace I have known. (Other than Jesus.)

When everything went wrong, I discovered I had done one thing right: I obeyed my Father and allowed Him to make me “one” with Jan. Of all the Kingdom workings the Father has assigned me, my connection with Jan has been the most life-challenging and rewarding.

Three children came and left. And, then, returned with ten grandchildren. Now, that sweet sixteen come and go as they live out their journeys of grace. Their stories of grace will not come close to matching mine. But, then, I am the one who will be amazed by my story. Hopefully, their stories will be just as magnificent to them.

Thank you, Jan, for being my wandering-in-wonder partner!

Thank You, Father, for filling our wandering with your wonder!

Photo – A cell phone picture of our “cutting-the-cake-moment.” My heart still sings as I look at her face. I am highly favored above all men!