Becoming His Bride

A radiant bride greeted her guests with a brilliant smile as she entered the reception hall after the wedding ceremony. She gracefully moved about the room, the train of her white gown flowing along the floor behind her, her veil cascading down her button-adorned back

She conversed with each guest one by one, taking the time to mingle and soak up the compliments.

"You look absolutely lovely."

"Your dress is divine."

"I've never seen a more beautiful bride."

"What a stunning ceremony."

The lavish praises rang on and on. The bride couldn't be more proud or more appreciative of the crowd's adoration. She could have listened to them swoon over her all evening. As a matter of fact, she did.

BUT WHERE WAS THE GROOM??

All the attention focused on the bride and never once did she call anyone's attention to her husband. She didn't even notice his absence at her side. Scanning the room, I searched for him, wondering, Where could he be?

I finally found him, but not where I expected him to be. The groom stood alone over in the corner of the room with his head down. As he stared at his ring, twisting the gold band that his bride had just placed on his finger, tears trickled down his cheeks and onto his hands. That is when I noticed the nail scars. The groom was JESUS.

He waited, but the bride never once turned her face toward her groom. She never held His hand. She never introduced the guests to Him. She operated independently of Him.

I awoke with a sick feeling in my stomach, realizing that I'd been dreaming....

(from the book "Every Young Woman's Battle"! Author, Shannon Ethridge, Stephen Arterburn)

When I read this story it almost broke my heart! I looked back on my life and I realzied that I could've been this bride. I have given my life to Jesus. I have placed the wedding band on his finger but I hardly held his hand or introduced people to him. I might have told people about him but I guess my actions didn't really line up with my words. And I soaked up all the compliments people gave me!

I would say I was almost addicted to those compliments. They kept me alive and made me feel beautiful and wanted!

I am glad that in the last half year of my life I've realized more what it means to become Jesus's bride and own it. But it still hurts my heart when I look back and realize all the times I have left my husband in a corner not even caring about how HE feels about what I do. 

I am super thankful for this story and the picture it gave me! 

Compliments are nothing bad. Don't get me wrong. But Jesus should be right at our side. We should hold his hand or be cuddled up in his arms and soak up all compliments he is giving us. 

And you know when you feel like a guy is persuing you and loving on you, there is not too much time to doubt if you are beautiful or not. When I feel loved and persued I feel soooo beautiful and I hardly think about if I am too fat or not funny or not beautiful enough, but I just enjoy the time of being loved. That's how it is supposed to be. When we put the wedding band on Jesus's finger we walk into a room and stay close to him. We introduce him to everybody cause he is our first love!! And we are excited about him. And when we get compliments, we will be blessed by those but just because we know already that we are beautiful and that we are loved and that we are stunning!! Cause our husband has told us those things already 1000 times more than all those guests on the wedding!

I really try to keep that picture in mind. The other night when I thought about the picture of this story and how I walk in a room with Jesus by my side and not alone I got butterflies and I feel like I get more and more what it means to fall in love with Jesus and becoming his bride!!

Once a woman becomes a bride, the focus of her life and priorities change, and all other people and priorities pale in comparison to her primary love relationship!!

(from the book "Every Young Woman's Battle"! Author, Shannon Ethridge, Stephen Arterburn)