A Wedding, Some Photos, and One Small Gate
When I was in high school, my Aunt Dot gave birth to her fourth baby. Ruthmary Suzette came into the world two months before she was expected, weighing in at a mere 2 pounds 13 ounces. My Aunt Dot felt that she could use some companionship during her first night in the hospital after Suzette was born. I got the blessing of being her overnight companion. It is a precious memory.
When Suzette was just four years old, she and my cousin Khristy were flowergirls in our wedding.
You know how every wedding must have something that goes differently from what was planned. We had two. Our photographer was in the nick of time, but nowhere near as early as he promised or early enough to get all those pre-wedding photos our friends were having made before their weddings. Oh, well. We were very happy with the ones we got.
I am particularly pleased with this one with my veil slapped back on crooked after it fell off after the wedding and before the photo shoot.
Another favorite is this one of Daddy and me.
The other unexpected event was when Suzette and Khristy stopped midway down the aisle. They seemed to think that one of their purposes was to drop every petal, so they stopped in the middle to do that, while everyone waited.
Suzette grew up giving joy to everyone around her. She gave herself completely to Jesus. She has shared Him with hurting people in faraway places, including homeless children in Africa.
Suzette is now the mother of two girls. She is on the other side of the camera now, working in a family photography business with her husband Kevin. When I got ready for a blog update a few weeks ago, I contacted Suzette about a photoshoot. It was worth the two-hour drive just to see Kevin and Suzette at work. I left there so proud of them.
A few years ago, they purchased a studio and garden on a busy street in Franklin, Tennessee, the eighth-fastest growing city in the United States. In their small oasis, you would never know there is a busy street a few feet away. They work constantly to enhance the beautiful garden. It is one of the prettiest I have ever seen. They worked as a wonderful team and put me completely at ease.
It would be hard to pick my favorite spot in their garden, but the entrance gate is one of them for sure.
I keep lists of passages I think I might write about sometime. Last night I saw this passage and thought of Kevin and Suzette’s garden gate.
Jesus Himself, the Savior of the world, the perfect Lamb Who died for us, spoke the words in this passage. Taking them to heart, living them, impressing them on our children and grandchildren are the most important priorities we can ever have. I beg you to make sure that the entrance to your homeschool is the small gate. Make sure that every day of your homeschool is centered on the narrow way that leads to life.
“Enter through the narrow gate;
for the gate is wide and the way is broad
that leads to destruction,
and there are many who enter through it.
For the gate is small and the way is narrow
that leads to life,
and there are few who find it.”
Matthew 7:13-14