“This is the day that the Lord has made; let us rejoice and
be glad in it." ~ Psalm 118:24
Woody sank into the designated
chair and waited impatiently. He allowed
his mind to briefly wander down nostalgia boulevard.
In his late twenties, he met the woman of his dreams. Soon came Myra, their beautiful little girl.
The hectic life of a toddler gave way to more temperamental ‘tween’
years. He’d sooner forget most of those days ... except of course the Daddy Daughter Dances. That night itself was special, but spending a
day alone with his little princess - shopping for the perfect gown, shoes and
purse - gave Woody an even greater sense of pure joy.
They started early with heaps of
whipped cream on blueberry pancakes.
Then off to the first of several dress shops. Woody loved the way her face changed when she
slipped into the right gown; the way hopes and dreams illuminated her eyes. She always assembled the perfect ensemble.
He still saw that little girl in her frilly dress. Ebony curls framed a childish face with eyes
that shined like sapphires and a smile as sweet as lilacs. Hopefully, he prayed, she’d carry the value of
their time spent together, the memories created, and lessons learned, for a
lifetime.
Woody casually wiped away tears streaking down his face; his
chin trembled like a small child. He gazed
toward the window as if light could transport him back in time.
Through misty eyes, he saw her again … older now … modeling
a wedding dress. Everyone knows that Moms
plan the wedding, so he hadn’t expected to be consulted on much beyond the
budget.
Yet to his delight and shock, Myra asked him to take her
dress shopping … one more time.
In a spacious sunlit studio, she tried on her first-ever
wedding dress: a high-neck, sleeveless gown with a full skirt. After looking at Woody, she pronounced: “Nope!” It looked nice, but the neckline was too high
and its skirt too full.
Number two had long lace
sleeves. She’d fallen in love with it in
the catalogue; one that Mom absolutely adored.
Myra stared in the mirror, then looked out her Dad. “No!” she mouthed again.
When the assistant pulled back the curtain for a third time,
Myra looked fabulous. “Frankly, she’d have
looked magnificent in a Pizza Hut table cloth,” he thought trying to curb his
enthusiasm.
Her big brown eyes met Woody’s as she squeezed his hand. “This is IT! Daddy,” she announced
triumphantly. “I know I found the right
dress because I can always see it on your
face.”
Woody offered a silent thank-you to the mother who, by
letting Myra go, allowed her to be his at the precious time when she said yes
to the dress.
Lord, teach me to offer You a heart of
thanksgiving in all my daily experiences. Teach me to be joyful always, to pray
continually and to give thanks in all my circumstances. I accept them as Your will for my life. Amen
