One Dress and One Man
Months ago I began the search. The search for a wedding dress. Now, I know many girls begin that search long before a guy is even in the picture of their lives, because it is fun to look. I just never did look for a perfect dress as a little girl or as a teenager (though I still am one). So suddenly, I was hit with the realization that I better start looking! I thought, How hard can it be? It's a white dress. Easy. Wrong. It is not easy. There is every imaginable kind of wedding dress out there, except for what I wanted, of course.
I was at camp, and Mom was on me about my need to get looking. I toyed with the idea of eloping after seeing the "to do" list for a wedding. Ahh!!!! I swallowed hard and began looking online. I found that I had an idea of what I wanted and I didn't even give dresses that didn't meet those qualifications a second glance. May be harsh, but it saved time. Why look at a dress with a red stripe when I didn't want that? I saw all of these skimpy, flirty, dresses and I cringed as I searched for something better.
That's when I found it. The dress. But, I didn't love it at first sight. I saw things about it that didn't seem like me. It couldn't work, could it? Yet, it stayed there in my mind. I kept looking at it and it grew on me. I wanted to order it. WHY??? I hadn't even been to a bridal shop anywhere! Get this, I had never tried on a wedding dress... ever. Why did I think I could order a dress from Utah and it work, first try? I really don't know. And Mom's eyes widened as we ordered it.
People asked if I had been wedding dress shopping yet.
"Have you tried on a bajillion dresses yet?" "How many stores have you been to?"
I just chuckled and said, "No. None."
They laughed and said, "Well, you'll have time to go try a whole bunch on."
"Uh... I already ordered one."
They about passed out when I said I had never tried one on. And I began to wonder if I was a fool. Goodness gracious, I should have gone and tried them on. I should have tried it out before I committed myself to it.
The dress came early. The brown box seemed to laugh in my face as I struggled to take off the tape. My heart thumped as I pulled it out. The pristine white sparkled. It looked good. Mom breathed the words, "Ok, let's get you in it." The smooth cloth dropped over my shoulders and when I looked in the mirror all I could say was, "IT'S PERFECT." It was perfect. Tears filled my eyes when a thought came to my mind.
How that dress came to me is very much like how Josh came to me. Josh is the only man I have ever been in a relationship with, he is the only man I'll ever kiss, he is the only man that will have all of me. God showed me that I didn't have to go and "try on other guys" just like I never tried on other dresses. I haven't "test kissed him" to make sure I like what I'm getting before it's permanent. God brought him to me, and I didn't have to do anything. It was a sort of love that progressed. Just like when I saw the dress. I didn't know if it would work, but now, I know circumstances, time, and everything else is in God's hands.
There could be things about the dress, that aren't perfect, but I don't know and I don't care. It's the only one I ever tried on. It's perfect to me. Josh is perfect to me. He is exactly who God designed to be my husband.
I'm not saying that girls shouldn't try on wedding dresses. That is fun and innocent! But, I am saying that we don't have to "try on guys" and guys don't have to "try on girls." The commitment of a husband or wife at the altar should always come first. For me it worked out that my wedding dress story is just like my love story. A once and done. A perfect fit.
I was at camp, and Mom was on me about my need to get looking. I toyed with the idea of eloping after seeing the "to do" list for a wedding. Ahh!!!! I swallowed hard and began looking online. I found that I had an idea of what I wanted and I didn't even give dresses that didn't meet those qualifications a second glance. May be harsh, but it saved time. Why look at a dress with a red stripe when I didn't want that? I saw all of these skimpy, flirty, dresses and I cringed as I searched for something better.
That's when I found it. The dress. But, I didn't love it at first sight. I saw things about it that didn't seem like me. It couldn't work, could it? Yet, it stayed there in my mind. I kept looking at it and it grew on me. I wanted to order it. WHY??? I hadn't even been to a bridal shop anywhere! Get this, I had never tried on a wedding dress... ever. Why did I think I could order a dress from Utah and it work, first try? I really don't know. And Mom's eyes widened as we ordered it.
People asked if I had been wedding dress shopping yet.
"Have you tried on a bajillion dresses yet?" "How many stores have you been to?"
I just chuckled and said, "No. None."
They laughed and said, "Well, you'll have time to go try a whole bunch on."
"Uh... I already ordered one."
They about passed out when I said I had never tried one on. And I began to wonder if I was a fool. Goodness gracious, I should have gone and tried them on. I should have tried it out before I committed myself to it.
The dress came early. The brown box seemed to laugh in my face as I struggled to take off the tape. My heart thumped as I pulled it out. The pristine white sparkled. It looked good. Mom breathed the words, "Ok, let's get you in it." The smooth cloth dropped over my shoulders and when I looked in the mirror all I could say was, "IT'S PERFECT." It was perfect. Tears filled my eyes when a thought came to my mind.
There could be things about the dress, that aren't perfect, but I don't know and I don't care. It's the only one I ever tried on. It's perfect to me. Josh is perfect to me. He is exactly who God designed to be my husband.
I'm not saying that girls shouldn't try on wedding dresses. That is fun and innocent! But, I am saying that we don't have to "try on guys" and guys don't have to "try on girls." The commitment of a husband or wife at the altar should always come first. For me it worked out that my wedding dress story is just like my love story. A once and done. A perfect fit.
Comments
Post a Comment