Are You Praying for your Children’s Future Husband or Wife?
I did. And God answered my prayers. Today, I am celebrating the birthday of my daughter’s husband, Larry, who I call “my son”. God gave us YOU, Larry Wallace!
I’m sharing this birthday wish to not just my son, Larry, but to all who follow me. I want you to know this man changed my mind about “jocks”, but most importantly, God clarified for me what our roles as parents should be in believing God’s very best for our children. When we pray and trust God with our heart’s desires for our children’s future spouse, and then turn over the reins to Him, the Master Designer and Orchestrator, will most certainly bring together a “perfect match made in heaven”!
For many years, the perfect man for our daughter, in my mind, was a man devoted to full time ministry, because, after all, she had vowed to be the next “Mother Teresa” who was all about making a difference in this world and going to the world to share God’s good news. At that time, Larry was a true jock. He had been recruited and played for four years for Texas A&M’s championship football team. Then he became a bodybuilder and was working towards becoming Mr. Oklahoma. He was, no doubt, a beautiful specimen of a man. What I saw on the outside was FINE, but this guy, in my books, was all brawn and not what I had envisioned for my girl. I had about four guys who I had deemed to be in the running for Mr. Staci! LOL! Thank you, God, for saying “NO” to those prayers!
Right here is where the story in 1 Samuel 16 is a great parallel. God had told Samuel to anoint one of Jesse’s sons to be the king that would succeed Saul. All of his sons were paraded before Samuel, and Samuel thought that surely Eliab was the chosen one because he saw something in the tall and stately presence of the eldest born of Jesse which reminded the old man of the splendid attributes of Saul. Eliab seemed to Samuel, in all respects, a fit successor to the great warrior whom the Lord rejected. But the Lord said to Samuel in 1 Samuel 16:7 “Do not consider his appearance or his height, for I have rejected him. The Lord does not look at the things people look at. People look at the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart.” That’s when Samuel asked Jesse “Are these all of your sons?” And we all remember that there was one more — an athletic, strong, kind, tenderhearted, with a “heart after God’s own heart”, ruddy warrior, and beautiful son who was a shepherd, David.
And, here is my departure from that story to this man, Larry Wallace, who, indeed was God’s chosen one for my Staci, the exact opposite in nature to hers, but the perfect match for her strong will, drive, and determination. And, as the photos below indicate — he keeps a watchful eye out for his children and prays diligently for them. Larry and Staci both desire, more than anything, to make a difference in this world….and they both are driven to do so every day. If you aren’t a follower of Staci and Larry, please take this opportunity to follow them on YouTube.com/emnationtv . Here is a sneak peek at the words in Larry’s birthday card:
“Happy Birthday to My Son, Larry! God made our prayers and dreams come true when He gave us You! This is one of my favorite photos because it is typical of you…side-by-side with Staci and always being there for the kids and me. You are the anchor, the team captain, and the warrior with the peaceful, calm, strong and patient qualities that makes you — YOU! Those are just a few of the many reasons to thank God for the gift of you to this world, but, even greater reasons for thanksgiving for me are because God blessed me with having you as my son. What a love God had for Staci, Payton, Alexia and all who know you — to bless us with YOU! I’m so glad it’s your birthday, because we get to celebrate the mainstay, the pillar of strength, the man of God, the amazing father, husband, son, and friend that you are! I celebrate you! Happy Birthday, my wonderful son, Larry! I love you so much and thank God for giving us — YOU!
Mom XOXOXO