#30 ~ "After The Music Stops"

The morning of May 23, 2014 was such a magical day!!! I woke up excited as a little girl anxious for Christmas and yet full of so much peace that you would have thought I was on an island. It was AMAZING! I was ready to marry the man of my dreams and my prayers. My mom, little sister and two of my best friends had come to Chicago to see this day happen and I was overjoyed to have them there. My future husband's parents and siblings had taken off work for the day as well....it was perfect! We did our small, intimate ceremony at my husband's church, Bethel House of Prayer at 3:00 in the afternoon. The sun was shining, the birds were chirping and my mother nature friend wasn't scheduled to visit me for a couple of weeks. Everything seemed so perfect in my eyes and I knew that GOD was pleased with our heart to please him.

As my spiritual father, Pastor Phil Mitchell, pronounced us husband and wife, he declared with a loud voice "CELEBRATE THEM!" There was some delay in the sound booth as cousin Tim wasn't informed that we wanted exit music (oops..that was our fault), but when the music came on, it was HEAVENLY! We exited out to Michael Jackson's "Love Never Felt So Good" and it hadn't. I was married to my best friend and my amazing lover and felt as though we could conquer the world. After  taking pictures, we left the church and headed to Chicago Chicken & Waffles. Delicious food + live music and family friends= PRICELESS!! My husband and I (that sounded so good to say only minutes after the ceremony) were enjoying ourselves so much that he took my hand and invited me to dance! LOL! YES! In the middle of the restaurant! It was unplanned, unscripted and yet perfect! I felt so full of joy that I didn't care who looked on as we stepped and slided to the live music in the background.

After enjoying dinner, we headed to the hotel and started our stay-cation HONEYMOON! It was beautiful and we truly enjoyed each other as we relaxed and enjoyed each other's company as newlyweds. Fast forward to a couple of weeks later...we moved into our first apartment! It wasn't glamorous but it was ours and we felt grateful to be there. It was a small basement unit, but we loved every moment with each other there because we purposely had no TV. We wanted to truly enjoy our first months of marriage and decided to have no TV in our home as a result. Time went by and I received an email from my law school. They notified me that my cumulative GPA was 0.005 points away from being eligible to return. WHAAAATTTTTT??!!!! Are you kidding me?!! I'm about to be in my third year of law school and I can't go back to complete what I've started!! NO WAY!! WHAT AM I GOING TO DO?!! WHAT IS GOING ON??? LORD WHY??? LORD WHAT?!! I was devastated. I had never suffered in my grades before...EVER and I had no idea how I was going to go forward as my plans were to stay in Chicago for the summer and return in the Fall to complete my semester.

I went into a state of confusion, bitterness and anger. I couldn't believe what had happened to me, especially because I had encouraged sooooo many of my classmates that "we could do this" and that "GOD was with us!"At that very moment, I heard the Lord speak softly in my ear "I'm with you and I've never left. Trust my plan." My husband was one of the strongest people I know during this season because I would have crying outbursts, nights where I cried myself to sleep in his arms as he wiped my face, joyful days where I trusted in GOD's plan and in-between days where I felt confused. Yet, in the midst of it all, GOD WAS WITH US! He never let me nor forsook me and was faithful to his word! (Deut. 31:6 ~ Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid or terrified because of them, for the LORD your God goes with you; he will never leave you nor forsake you.")

During this time, I was still currently enrolled in Distance Learning online courses and decided that I would continue on to finish them. I was determined to try to increase my cumulative GPA and return. One night my husband needed to head to his office to work on a task for the upcoming week so I tagged along. It was a very productive night as I was able to finish my project for class. Upon our return, I was confused. All of the lights in our house were on and the window in the front room was open. Clothes were thrown everywhere and jewelry boxes were opened. WE HAD BEEN ROBBED!! Ugh!!! Lord, WHAT IS GOING ON?!! WHY DID SOMEONE DO THIS?? LORD WHY?!?! LORD WHAT?!! Immediately we called the police, filed a report and tried to regain peace. We met more of our neighbors that night as they all came and banded with us to provide support. We then started putting clothes back and realized that they only stole my husband's BEATS headphones and his watch. They tried to steal our rings but they were on us. GOD WAS FAITHFUL TO US! Even better, we weren't there when it happened and the Lord protected us by keeping us from danger. In the midst of it all, he was there!

Weeks later, we prepared for the Annual Youth Convention with my husband's district (and mine too now) as he serves as YPHA President. The Youth Convention was a huge success and we returned home tired, yet full of joy! We decided to watch TD Jakes on streaming video and started to take notes. As we laid across our bed, I smelled something that was very similar to a sewer. I looked at my husband and said "Did you poot?" to which he replied while laughing, "NO! Did you poot!" He went outside of our bedroom to find that our apartment was full of water. Our apartment WAS FLOODING!! We immediately gathered our shoes off the floor, gathered clothes for the night and next day and evacuated. As we left our apartment, all we could do was laugh and say "Lord, we trust your plan!" It was such a moment of agony and yet peace because we realized that the LORD WAS WITH US in every trial, tribulation and situation! (Isa. 59:19 ~ When the enemy shall come in like a flood, the Spirit of the Lord shall lift up a standard against him.)

We understood then more than ever that the solution to problems is PRAISE and the relief to worry is WORSHIP. Remember, weddings are beautiful and such a day of bliss! However, marriage starts as soon as you say "I Do" and after the exit music stops, LIFE is waiting for you outside.

Nuggets to remember:
1) Remember that the foundation to any marriage is CHRIST. For without him, we are nothing. (Psalm 16:2 ~ I say to the LORD, "You are my Lord; apart from you I have no good thing.")  

2) In tests and trials, don't be dismayed. Understand that they have come to make you strong.
(1 Peter 1:7~ These trials will show that your faith is genuine. It is being tested as fire tests and purifies gold--though your faith is far more precious than mere gold. So when your faith remains strong through many trials, it will bring you much praise and glory and honor on the day when Jesus Christ is revealed to the whole world.)

3) You and your spouse are ONE! You are a team. Therefore, every hurt they experience, you do too. Likewise, every joy they experience, you should too. Be each other's biggest cheerleader and biggest support.
(Amos 3:3~ Do two walk together unless they have agreed to do so?)

4) Above all, don't forget that when you don't know what to say or what to do, just TRUST GOD'S PLAN!
(Jeremiah 29:11~ For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.)

God Bless!
~ CW