Tomorrow I get to see two people I really love get married. My brother and his fiancé are going to have a beautiful wedding in Maine and I can’t wait to dance my pants off (figuratively speaking, of course).

Their story is, well, intricate; the way the Lord brought them together is no accident and was no easy road for either of them. But this week we get to celebrate them and stand by them as they dedicate their lives to each other, a culmination and yet a beginning all in one. We get to be witnesses to the story that God has written since the beginning of time.

I’ve been struck recently at the detail of our stories; the way God personalizes everything for us. We all can learn the same lesson but in a myriad of ways; there are so many different ways to arrive at the same destination. Think about a time when God has revealed something to you – it was through a person, event, or moment that was personal and specific to you. He isn’t an impersonal God.

And on top of that, He doesn’t teach us or lead us through this life alone. He gives us each other, which I believe is one of His greatest gifts to us. I saw this last week when God called me and a friend individually to greater depths in our lives, and then they intertwined. What He was calling her into answered a prayer that He had put on my heart. For both of us, it was scary. But for both of us, it ended up being beautiful and a chance to be brave. He is so tender with our individual souls, and so faithful to give us each other.

My Mom has always said that her and my Dad parented each of us kids differently, because we are different people. God does the same thing. He knows us, through and through, and so He knows the ways in which we individually need to learn lessons or experience love. He knows what will help me grow, and what will help you grow. And that might look really different. He knows exactly what to do or say to each of us so that we know we are loved.

He is the Master Gardener who has planted each and every soul. He knows how to prune and water and grow each individual one. He speaks uniquely and personally to each of us, we just have to learn to listen. Why did He have Adam name each animal? Because they were different. Though they were all animals, they were not the same. In the same way, He doesn’t look at all of us and see the same thing. 

Consider the people God has put in your life in this season. Some people are given to you for a long time, some for a specific time and purpose. Regardless, the people around you matter. They are a part of your story and you are a part of theirs. Consider what kind of character you want to be. Be a person whose presence changes people for the better. Declare over your people that their story is good and their God is even better.

 In your individual story this week, I encourage you to seek the personal God that we love and serve. Look at your story and the way He has pruned, watered, and tended to your soul. See the way He knows you and loves you so personally.

Lord,

Who are we that You should love us so deeply, so personally, so profoundly? Your love changes people. It’s changed me. When we let You love us, we don’t stay the same. We transform in Your goodness and become more whole. More like You.

You hold us close until we become more. Your love changes everything. I’m so thankful for Your love, for Your kindness towards us. For the way You’ve written all our individual stories and woven them together in such a sweet and sacred way. Thank You for Your love towards us, and for giving us each other.