Dear Mom,
It was never intended for a son to be at his mother’s wedding. The fact that I am writing this letter demonstrates that something awful has occurred in the past. It is not the way it is supposed to be. Shalom, meaning God with us, has been vandalized in some way shape or form. I know this because in the Garden, before sin had ever scarred our souls, things happened as they were designed to happen. A man would leave his father and hold tight to his wife, and they would become one flesh – being fruitful, creating together without toil, separation, heartache, manipulation, brain tumors or any other adversities. A son watching his mother celebrate her union with a man who is not his father, this is something you certainly do not find in the Garden.
With that said, I want you to know that on this day, your second wedding day, I see a clear and visible representation of shalom being restored, God with us. Today, whatever parts of shalom have been vandalized and tainted, whatever parts of the garden had been laid barren and overgrown by weeds, they are now being made new – Praise God! Where my dad once stood now stands another. And although this other is not my dad, I will love him, and I will look to him for fatherly advice, wisdom and leadership because I have witnessed his heart for you, and in his heart I have also found Christ ruling there.
Mom, you and I, we’ve been through a lot – both of these families have been through a lot. Just as Troy has taught his children, you have also taught your children, in your sufferings, to obey God even when all traces of God have seemed to vanish. You stepped up to lead a family whose leader had been stripped from them, and you did a phenomenal job. Jeremiah 29:11 says, “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.” When God first spoke this to the Israelites, he was speaking to a people who were not prospering, who were harmed, who were enslaved and who had no reason to have any hope of any future beyond the pain and isolation before them. Mom, you taught me to hold tight to this declaration even in our own disparity and pain. You taught me to trust the Lord who is there, who has been there and who always will be there. You taught me this, and look at you now. You are beautiful. You are standing beside a godly man who is here, not only to declare his present love for you, but to also bind all future love to you. What an honor! What a gift!
I do not know what the future holds. Most likely, your trials are not over. There will be more pain, there will be heartache, there will be suffering – no where in scripture does it say we are safe from these things. When darkness’ shadow returns though, and we perhaps find ourselves in death’s valley once again, let us not forget this day. A day when you were gifted with a glimpse of the restoration of shalom, meaning God is with us. This is a day when prosperity, hope and a future can be tangibly seen and felt. This day is a precious gift, let us give thanks to God and enjoy it! I love you mom, you are my biggest role model, and I can only pray to find a wife who is half the woman you have been to me.
Your son,
Brandon James
