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The day finally arrived when the Grace &
Hope boutique opened. It was a great addition to the town
businesses. The ladies of the town loved it. They got such
personal attention by both Grace and Hope. Business was good. God
blessed them tremendously.
Wedding plans were finalized and the big day
was almost here. Donald asked Grace again if she was sure she wanted
to have Marley attend the wedding. She said, "Yes honey, it's
the right thing to do." So on the 16th. of June the church was
beginning to fill up and there was organ music playing. The brides
were getting dressed in a room upstairs, while the men were waiting
for them.
Ben and Hope's parents were there and their
sisters and brothers. Some family members of Donald and Grace were
there, every one seemed so happy for the couples, but Marley wasn't
there. Grace was a bit concerned but Donald thought maybe it was for
the best. The men were waiting at the
altar along with their best men. Waiting anxiously to see the
beautiful brides coming down the isle. The soloist was singing the old
song, "Just When I Needed Love." The feeling of love was
in the air! How long they had waited, nothing could ruin this
moment. It was a real blessing from God that all these plans had
finally been fulfilled and now there would be two more married couples in
town and the new business was thriving. God was just so good that
they couldn't express the depths of their love for Him it was so great.
Hope's
sisters, were brides maids and were a lovely sight walking down the
isle. They took their place, and a little girl from the church came
carrying rose petals in a little basket, spreading them out before the
brides. Just then the wedding march
began and the two brides appeared at the door. Every one stood up
and stared in awe at those two beautiful brides in their white dresses and
small veils draped from a row of flowers around their heads, bouquets in
hand and their hearts singing. The hearts in the two men's chest
were pounding so hard. This was a sight to behold, their brides as they
fairly floated down the isle. "We
are gathered here in the sight of God..... " A loud voice from
the back of the church came bounding up the isle, "Stop this
wedding! Stop this wedding right now!!" Sister Marley, in her
holier than thou voice and attitude with a look on her face that could
make the bravest person tremble. "This wedding cannot take
place. God has come to me in a vision and told me that it's
wrong. All wrong! Grace, you go and pack up your things, you
are coming home with me. There will be no wedding today!"
They
could not believe their eyes. How dare Marley ruin this, the most
important day of their lives. Donald was outraged and Grace in
tears. Ben and Hope just stood there in disbelief. The whole
congregation was in shock. Who was this crazy woman that was yelling
to the top of her lungs, trying to stop the wedding?
There
happened to be a police officer that was a member of the church and was
attending the wedding. He immediately got up from his seat and
grabbed hold of Marley and demanded to know what she was doing there and
physically escorted her out. Every one
tried hard to get control of things again and go on with the wedding but
Grace was too upset and asked the patience of the congregation and the
other couple and asked Donald to please step outside with her for a
moment. Outside the door she saw the
police officer about to drive away with Marley. She called out to
him and asked him to wait a minute. She went up to the car and asked
Marley why she had ruined the most important day of her life, she said,
"I just need to know why you hate me so much." Marley
said, "Because of you, I have never had a life of my own. It's
always been you and what you need and what you want. Mom had no
right to ask me to be a mother to you when I was only a child
myself. I promised, so I had to try to keep that promise, but I've
resented it my whole life. And now here you are, getting married and
successful in business and what do I have? Nothing! It's
always you Grace, never what I need. Never what I want. It's Mom's
fault. She had no right!" Grace couldn't believe that Marley was
actually crying. She'd never seen anything from her but that mean
streak that kept her afraid of her and feeling like she could never do
anything right in her eyes. Grace said
to her sister, "Marley, would you like to come to our wedding?"
Marley said, "How could you even ask after all I've done to
you. After the way I just acted when you were about to be married, I
don't deserve to share this most important day in your life. I don't
deserve your love, but somehow you've always managed to love me, even when
I was so mean to you. How do you do that Grace?"
Grace
answered, "It's loving God that allows me to love even those who are
sometime unlovable. And if you would like to be my sister, the
sister I've always loved and needed, then I'd love to have you at my
wedding." They walked back into the church and Grace proudly
announced to everyone, this is my sister, Marley. She's always taken
care of me and I'd like her to stand with me as I marry the man of my
dreams. The wedding continued and
Grace not only had the man she loved as her husband, but she had a sister
now that loved her and did every thing she could to make things up to
her. That preacher lady
with a mean streak ended up a preacher lady that repented of her sins and
became a real minister of God.
The End
© Carrie Kinyon
12/29/2008
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