"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. " 1 John 4:9
It was a warm afternoon in April. Elizabeth was sitting at her desk which was positioned in the bay window of the master bedroom suite. Boomer had designed it so that the soft green granite top was custom fit into the space. Whenever she sat at the desk, Elizabeth had a bird’s eye view of her “white garden.” The numerous plants were in bloom, and the contrast of the gorgeous creamy flowers against the greenery was breathtaking.
Marty had returned to Dallas and begun work on January 15, and from the day he arrived back in town he and Tracy had been inseparable. The third week in February Tracy had informed her parents that Marty wanted to talk to them, and they had set up an appointment for him to come to the house the following Saturday afternoon.
It was cold and rainy that day, and a fire roared in the fireplace of the library. Boomer sat in his grandfather’s chair across from Elizabeth and Marty who were seated on the tobacco-colored leather couch. Boomer and Elizabeth sipped the freshly brewed coffee, but Marty left his steaming mug untouched. It was clear that he was nervous—more so than he had been when he had interviewed for his job.
“I love Tracy,” he began. “I have asked her to marry me, and I would like for you to give us your blessing.”
“You have my blessing,” Elizabeth responded. She was well aware of how much Tracy loved Marty, and she had observed that he loved her too. Normally, she would have been opposed to a couple who had known each other for only a little more than three weeks becoming engaged, but she knew that Marty was a Christian and that he was very serious about his feelings for Tracy. His parents were long-time Christians who had raised him well. Elizabeth was certain that this marriage was ordained by God.
“Not so fast!” Boomer said without smiling. “First I have a question for you!” What seemed like a long pause followed before he continued, “What took you so long?”
Marty looked immensely relieved, and Boomer burst out laughing.
Afterwards, Boomer commented to Elizabeth that he was impressed that Marty had asked for their permission to marry Tracy.
“He didn’t ask for our permission; he asked for our blessing,” she replied. “I listened very carefully to everything Marty said. He let us know that he was going to marry Tracy no matter what we thought, but he also wanted us to know that he would prefer that we give them our blessing.”
“Good for him!” Boomer said. “A man should go after what he wants.”
Now, as Elizabeth sat staring out the window, she thought about Molly. She had spent the last hour addressing invitations for Tracy’s wedding, and she could not help contrasting her girls’ lives. Tracy was preparing to marry her dream man in the perfect wedding. Her future in-laws were well-respected members of the community who were welcoming her into their family with open arms. Everything in Tracy’s life was just about perfect.
Elizabeth understood that Molly’s problems were the result of her own poor choices, but that knowledge did not make it easier for her to deal with the mess that Molly had made of her life. “If Molly would get her life straightened out,” Elizabeth thought, “this would be the happiest time of my life.” For a long time she continued to stare out the window as hot tears coursed down her cheeks and dropped onto the desk.
Elizabeth spent the next hour praying for Molly. She prayed for Molly every day, but sometimes she felt a special need to increase those prayers. She was still sitting at her desk when Tracy came home from school.
When Tracy entered the room, she asked, “What’s the matter, Mom?”
“I was just thinking about Molly. I wish that she had made better choices. I wonder whether I will ever be helping her plan her wedding.”
Elizabeth wiped her eyes and forced a smile, “Are you going to invite her to the wedding?”
“I talked to Marty about it, and he said that I absolutely should invite her. He said that family is important and that no matter what she’s done, she’s still part of our family. I know all of that’s true, but I also know Molly. I don’t mind having her there, but I’m afraid that she will do something to embarrass all of us. Your friends and his parents’ friends will be attending, and I’m afraid that she’ll pull one of her stunts.”
“It’s your wedding, and it’s up to you. Let me know what you decide, and that’s what we’ll do.”
“I don’t need to think about it any more,” Tracy replied. “Invite her.”
