When David and I began planning our wedding we chose as our wedding bands two rings with a total of twelve stones. We wanted our rings to be reminders of God's faithfulness and power to do what we could not do. The verse that inspired this came from Joshua 3 and 4 where the children of Israel Cross the Jordan as God parts the waters. When they have completely passed over God commands them to build a memorial.
"Take you out of the midst of Jordan, out of the place where the priests feet stood firm, twelve stones, and you shall carry them over with you. and leave them in the lodging place where ye shall lodge this night....that this may be a sign among you, that when your children ask their fathers in time to come, saying 'what mean ye by these stones?' Then ye shall answer them, That the waters of Jordan were cut off before the ark of the covenant; when it passed over Jordan, the waters of the Jordan were cut off: and these stones shall be for a memorial unto the children of Israel forever." Josh 4:3, 6, 7
Who would have thought that 30 years later our son would meet and marry a precious young lady named Jordan. I know I wondered for years what her name would be - we had been praying for so long for this blessed event. And then, she was here. Now she is our Jordan - our amazing Daughter-in-love! And we are so grateful.
Yesterday was her birthday and I just wanted to take a moment to talk about what a sweet gift she has been to us as a family. She is a caring and involved big sister to Dylan and Cheyenne and is a gifted teacher to students on the other side of the world. And soon, very soon she will give birth to our very first grandchild. She is fun and sensitive, light-hearted and thoughtful. She is beautiful and bright and is the apple of my son's eye.
Every married couple has struggles; ups and downs; some beyond our control - some that happen at our very own hands. David and I had monumental struggles. Maybe one day I will share about some of the things God used to get us through that "Jordan River." But one of the things I am thankful for is the way David Paul and Jordan are facing their challenges and crossing their "Jordans."
Jordan is a well-suited Help Meet for David Paul, and he is a loving and resourceful husband to her. I look forward to seeing them navigate this new chapter in their lives. Their commitment to their faith and to each other is something we prayed for and watching them I can only say I am feeling peace - just like a river - a Jordan River.
With Love,
P. S. Happy Birthday, Jordan!