Currently Listening The Historical Conquests of Josh Ritter (with Bonus EP) By Josh Ritter see related

Life is so unpredictable.

I suppose that's much of the reason it captures our imagination so well.  About 6 weeks ago, I wrote some plans about honeymoons and other things surrounding my up and coming marriage.  As God would have it, some of the things I wrote about didn't occur.  Japan, for instance.  That was a trip that both my wife and I were really looking forward to.  As the date neared ever closer, I began finding out new and amazing things we'd see.  I had printed off information on no less than 10 temple sites(including their times open to site-seeing, and prices of entry) in Kyoto alone.  I was stoked.  All that changed the eve of August 9th with a small stomach cramp.

At first I thought it was merely hunger pains.  So, that night at Cock of the Walk, one of Jackson, MS's best known restaurants for deep south cooking, I made sure I ate plenty.  Five pieces of catfish, and 4 helpings of greens later, it only became worse.  This concerned me somewhat, but I was not yet alarmed, after all, people get stomach aches.  Later that night, the pain was still steady and kept growing worse.  I tossed and turned until 6 am.  It was now the day of my rehearsal, and yet I'd only gotten 2 hours of broken sleep.  The pain was still no better, and I was finally ready to do something about it.  "Let's go to the ER," I said, "I want to check on this while I still have time to."

2 hours later, at St. Dominic's hospital in Jackson, the doctor came in after my CAT scan.  "Well, your colon is fine, and your gallbladder is doing quite nicely."  "Whew", I thought, "that's a relief, there must not be anything wrong."  But, then the doctor continued, "but your appendix, it's enflamed, it's gonna have to come out."

My heart sank.  An appendectomy, now, of all times.  A mere 24 hours before my wedding, and I was going into emergency surgery.  At first I was a little angry, but soon I realized God's timing was gracious.  Not only did this happen with time still to spare before the wedding, but it hadn't happened in Japan.  Within hours, I was just ready to get it done with.  When the staff heard that I was supposed to get married the next day, they all worked feverishly to try get things done, each staff member was determined to get me out and on my way to Natchez by the next day.  They were fantastic.  I woke up that afternoon with 3 small incisions, and a feeling of relief.

The following morning, I was checked out by 11 am.  After a quick bite to eat, we were leaving Jackson at 2 pm for Natchez.  It was a two hour drive, and the wedding was at 6 o'clock.  With 2 hours to spare, I arrived in Natchez, changed into my tux, and went to the house we were married at.  With no rehearsal, or even much advice, I walked out in front of all my friends and family...with a chair nearby in case I had to sit down.  Then I saw Courtney for the first time in 3 weeks, all aglow in her lovely wedding gown.  The wedding ceremony went flawlessly.  It was just God, I couldn't believe it, and couldn't explain the peace I had throughout the entire ordeal.  My wife and I both just had to trust God's will at that moment.  Though the honeymoon trip had to be cancelled, we weren't too saddened(Lord willing, we'll be taking it later).  At the reception's end, as she and I walked between two lines of cheering loved ones and friends, all ringing their farewell bells, I was overcome with the satisfaction of knowing that we'd just leaned on Christ, and He'd brought us through.  But as she helped me get into our car and we drove away, I saw the love in her face and knew that from here on out, thanks to God's infinite mercies, we would also be leaning, quite literally, upon one another.

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Congrats to Jeannie and Gray today on the safe delivery of Lucy, their new covenant bundle of joy.