>Clumsy Bows and Beautiful Unions

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Make Something Beautiful and Strong: In Honor of my Bonus Daughter’s Upcoming Marriage; In Honor of our Fourth Wedding Anniversary

My cousin Janene could take three pipe cleaners, two bent paper clips, a penny, and some ugly tissue paper and craft them into a centerpiece that would raise good money at a charity auction. She has a real knack for crafts.

Crafting is not my niche. So I’m not sure what possessed me to make a bow for my bonus daughter’s bridal shower gift, instead of buying one already made, sturdy and beautiful. But there I was, on a Saturday morning, wrestling with two lengths of organza ribbon and my fingers, which were behaving like thumbs.

As I struggled with the ribbons I thought about it. Deep down, I wanted to make something strong and beautiful for her. For them. But I was discovering I couldn’t do it by myself.

My husband wandered in and peered over my shoulder. With both my hands tangled in the filmy, iridescent ribbons, I asked, “Rich, can you pull right there?” He reached and gave a tug in just the right place. The bow was done. It wasn’t perfect, but it was pretty enough, in its own fashion. And it was sturdy. This bow wouldn’t disintegrate.

And it’s just like that, trying to create a thing of strength and beauty. It takes work. Sometimes we struggle. Sometimes our efforts disappoint us.

And sometimes, an extra hand reaches in and makes our efforts pretty enough, solid enough.

It can work for bow-making.

And it can work for marriages, too. Four years ago today, I married her father. We’ve needed an extra hand more than once.

Our marriage is strong. And beautiful.

They’ll have to create their own marriage–their own thing of strength and beauty. It’s work that no one can do for them. But Someone can reach in and smooth their efforts, provide just the right tug to make it pretty enough and tough enough. I pray they’ll remember to call on Him.

¹⁷ Let the favor of the Lord our God be upon us;
And confirm for us the work of our hands;
Yes, confirm the work of our hands.
Psalm 90:17 (NASB)