A Mom Chooses Life, Jesus, and Marriage: When God Orchestrates a Life

When I woke up yesterday, I thought it was just another day that I would hurry out to the sidewalks of the abortion center with my wonderful Cities4Life team, and hope to convince moms of the sacred value of their babies. It turned into a whirlwind day where I planned and executed a wedding. Not my typical Thursday! I want to be clear from the get-go. There is NO WAY I could have pulled this off. The miracles of God and intervention of loving Christians throughout made an impossible task a beautiful and joyful miracle.

The bride, J, was a brave woman who thought she had to abort her baby since her situation was so difficult. Honestly, she faced some of the most difficult circumstances anyone could face with a new baby on the way. Through the intervention of the Cities4Life team and network of supporters, every obstacle is being addressed. She chose life for her baby, then chose to ask Jesus to be Lord of her life, was convicted of the need to obey God in all things, told her boyfriend, who said, "Then let's get married now."

J and her boyfriend have been together for eleven years. They have four living children together, with one in heaven. They always talked about getting married, but just never got around to it. But now, with a life newly dedicated to God, the urgency of marriage had reached a boiling point.

"NOW,"  J told me. "It's time, and how can God bless us if we don't follow Him in this?"

However, her boyfriend has a brutal work schedule and was supposed to work all day for the next few days, twelve hour shifts...and I leave Saturday for a week vacation. Since I was the contact person helping them, we decided the wedding would have to wait till I got back.

Instead, the groom's work for the day was cancelled due to internet issues, and the couple called me in the morning yesterday. They wanted to get married NOW. I called our director, Daniel, who decided he would conduct a counseling session to determine if our ministry would be in God's will by helping them. While he counseled them, I was on the microphone at the abortion center, urging other women to choose life.

Daniel pulled me aside, gave me the thumbs up, and told me go do whatever I needed to do to make a wedding happen. The happy couple and I dashed downtown to the courthouse, filled out the marriage license application, submitted and paid for through Cities4Life donors.

Then, we went to a consignment shop and instantly found a perfect dress and shoes! I reached the shop before the couple, guessed on her taste, picked out a dress and when she walked in the door, held it up.

"I LOVE that dress!!!" She tried it on. Fit as though it was made for her.

I had already snagged a beautiful ring from home that I never wear and had found years ago. I kept it, thinking one day God would reveal who I could bless with that lovely ring. I hoped it would fit J. It did! Perfectly. As though it were made for her. I gave the ring box to the groom.

We were momentarily stymied when we found out they could not marry right away, but would have to return at 6pm for a Justice of the Peace wedding. MIRACULOUSLY, I got a lead on a pastor who performs weddings and would come to us! I told him J's story, and he said he was honored to be a part of this. He lives an hour or so away, but just happened to be in town which never happens. He could do the wedding at 3 pm. Best of all, he is a strong Christian, and this union would be sanctified before God!

With two hours lead time, J was able to get her best friend to come to the gorgeous park . Daniel managed to fight terrible traffic jams to make it in time. I went home to change into a dress, and somehow, we all arrived at 3:00 ready for a wedding.

The ceremony was surprisingly moving to me, considering I had known this woman all of 72 hours. Daniel took off his own ring for the groom to use during the ceremony so there could be an exchange of rings. I wish I had thought of or had the time to get a ring for the groom! (Don't judge me...this was my first time running a wedding....)

Another Cities4Life donor paid for a room at a swanky hotel downtown for the wedding night. This is a hard working couple, but circumstances beyond their control had landed them in rough waters. A fancy hotel and a garden wedding were not in their wildest dreams. Survival edged those thoughts out.

They were so grateful and so happy. That beaming woman was a completely different lady than the one I met Monday, depressed, despairing and hopeless at the abortion center.

The couple left us for their honeymoon night in the fancy hotel, all smiles and joy.

May Christ guide their future as He did this miraculous day. You just never know how God will use you when you wake up in the morning and say, "Here am I. Send me."

This morning, I found out that the swanky hotel gave this new married couple a free fancy dinner on the house to celebrate them. How often do you hear of something like that happening???

When God orchestrates a life, a symphonic masterpiece is created.
**************
We would love to have willing spirits join us as volunteers on the sidewalks of the abortion center. For more information, please contact vkaseorg@cities4life.com
**************
An immediate need is a van, like a used Honda Odyssee.  Their car has no AC and is not large enough with their other kids and the new baby. Please contact me if you have a free or not expensive vehicle you would like to donate or sell to this new couple striving to follow God.  Please share this request far and wide. This is a couple worth the effort!!! (Charlotte, NC area.)
vkaseorg@cities4life.com
**************

Psalm 51:10-12

Create in me a clean heart, O God, and renew a right spirit within me. Cast me not away from your presence, and take not your Holy Spirit from me. Restore to me the joy of your salvation, and uphold me with a willing spirit