Vindicate me, O God, and defend my cause against an ungodly people, from the deceitful and unjust man deliver me! ( vs. 1-2)
We have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous. ( I John)
Jesus is able to save those to the uttermost who draw near to God through Him, for He ever lives to intercede on their behalf. ( Hebrews 7)
Mother was sitting there at her kitchen table. Her hair was dirty and uncombed. Knotted in her hand was a tissue. Always lovely, wearing pink lipstick and a smile when I walked into the room, my Mother had morphed into this wizened bitter lady waiting for my husband and me to pour out our contrition.
What had we done? We had gotten married. Big wedding with clinking crystal and hatted guests. But the cake frosting had been crunchy instead of smooth and buttery. Bouquets that should have had green sprigs contrasting with the red roses and baby's breath, were ruined for the lack of "sprigging." On top of that, our photographer, my cousin who was not a professional, had taken our wedding pictures for $100.00. As if these things were not heinous enough, we drove a little red Mustang Mach I. Pretty much a two-seater with a 351 engine and hood locks. There was no negligible back seat.
"What did you think of the wedding pictures?" Mother queried my new husband. She asked this because Bill also took pictures of other people's weddings. It was a simple Sunday afternoon that did not hold any threat of the ominous churning in Mother's heart.
"They are good for cheap pictures." Ew..boy. Write CHEAP in all caps....Scream the word into my mother's heart. Out came her reply in a gush of pent up offenses.
"You thought the whole wedding was cheap, cheap, cheap!" Now tears.
Incredulity. What is she thinking? I could not stuff Bill's words back into his mouth. Oh, how I wanted to. Of course, he meant inexpensive. We all knew the pictures weren't that good.
"The icing was ruined! The florist made mistakes with the bouquets! Not good enough for you two!" Can't quite synthesize what she means. I loved my wedding. Trying to tell her that but she cannot hear it.
"And you bought a car we cannot even ride in!" Mother is crying. Hurt to be excluded from our little red car. "You two are the most selfish people I have ever met and I don't ever want to see you again as long as I live!" Exeunt.
Leaving us bereft of her. Confused and dazed. Sunny Sunday afternoon now black with condemnation. Off we go in our exclusive little red Mustang to grieve the loss.
No talking to her on Monday. Won't pick up the phone.
"Daddy, what do we do?" Over for baloney and cheese sandwiches at my little apartment on Tuesday.
"Come over to the house tomorrow night."
"Okay."
Oh, God, I love my mother. Please vindicate us. Please speak to her in ways we cannot! Not sleeping. Stomach churning. A long twenty-four hours until we knock on Mother's front door.
"I have told your mother that no one is to say anything until we have first talked to God." Stern. Daddy is determined to go to the Advocate first. Let Him decided our case in this home that has become our court. Daddy the bailiff. We the defendants. Mother the accuser.
"Dear God, tell Flossie how much I love her." My new husband is crying about his new mother. "I didn't mean to hurt her, Lord!" And he reaches for the tissued hand, knotted up against his touch.
To her. "Please forgive me, Flossie."
"Why did you say those things?" Mother reaching back now.
"I am not especially silver-tongued, Flossie."
Relief in her eyes. My man takes a deep breath. "Just ask me next time what I meant by what I said. So I can say it better."
What would have happened if we had not gone first to the One Who ever lives to intercede for us? I don't know. I understood Mother's bitterness and insecurity better later on, but God knew all about it then, at her home around her maple breakfast table. He not only vindicated us, but used a horrible circumstance for His greater purposes. Mother never questioned Bill's words again because she understood from that day forward that he loved her. That was her real question. Did he love her?
Even the heart of the unjust accuser is before a God Who knows all of our "whys." In His court there is not only justice but reconciliation because that is what Jesus lives for.
We have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous. ( I John)
Jesus is able to save those to the uttermost who draw near to God through Him, for He ever lives to intercede on their behalf. ( Hebrews 7)
Mother was sitting there at her kitchen table. Her hair was dirty and uncombed. Knotted in her hand was a tissue. Always lovely, wearing pink lipstick and a smile when I walked into the room, my Mother had morphed into this wizened bitter lady waiting for my husband and me to pour out our contrition.
What had we done? We had gotten married. Big wedding with clinking crystal and hatted guests. But the cake frosting had been crunchy instead of smooth and buttery. Bouquets that should have had green sprigs contrasting with the red roses and baby's breath, were ruined for the lack of "sprigging." On top of that, our photographer, my cousin who was not a professional, had taken our wedding pictures for $100.00. As if these things were not heinous enough, we drove a little red Mustang Mach I. Pretty much a two-seater with a 351 engine and hood locks. There was no negligible back seat.
"What did you think of the wedding pictures?" Mother queried my new husband. She asked this because Bill also took pictures of other people's weddings. It was a simple Sunday afternoon that did not hold any threat of the ominous churning in Mother's heart.
"They are good for cheap pictures." Ew..boy. Write CHEAP in all caps....Scream the word into my mother's heart. Out came her reply in a gush of pent up offenses.
"You thought the whole wedding was cheap, cheap, cheap!" Now tears.
Incredulity. What is she thinking? I could not stuff Bill's words back into his mouth. Oh, how I wanted to. Of course, he meant inexpensive. We all knew the pictures weren't that good.
"The icing was ruined! The florist made mistakes with the bouquets! Not good enough for you two!" Can't quite synthesize what she means. I loved my wedding. Trying to tell her that but she cannot hear it.
"And you bought a car we cannot even ride in!" Mother is crying. Hurt to be excluded from our little red car. "You two are the most selfish people I have ever met and I don't ever want to see you again as long as I live!" Exeunt.
Leaving us bereft of her. Confused and dazed. Sunny Sunday afternoon now black with condemnation. Off we go in our exclusive little red Mustang to grieve the loss.
No talking to her on Monday. Won't pick up the phone.
"Daddy, what do we do?" Over for baloney and cheese sandwiches at my little apartment on Tuesday.
"Come over to the house tomorrow night."
"Okay."
Oh, God, I love my mother. Please vindicate us. Please speak to her in ways we cannot! Not sleeping. Stomach churning. A long twenty-four hours until we knock on Mother's front door.
"I have told your mother that no one is to say anything until we have first talked to God." Stern. Daddy is determined to go to the Advocate first. Let Him decided our case in this home that has become our court. Daddy the bailiff. We the defendants. Mother the accuser.
"Dear God, tell Flossie how much I love her." My new husband is crying about his new mother. "I didn't mean to hurt her, Lord!" And he reaches for the tissued hand, knotted up against his touch.
To her. "Please forgive me, Flossie."
"Why did you say those things?" Mother reaching back now.
"I am not especially silver-tongued, Flossie."
Relief in her eyes. My man takes a deep breath. "Just ask me next time what I meant by what I said. So I can say it better."
What would have happened if we had not gone first to the One Who ever lives to intercede for us? I don't know. I understood Mother's bitterness and insecurity better later on, but God knew all about it then, at her home around her maple breakfast table. He not only vindicated us, but used a horrible circumstance for His greater purposes. Mother never questioned Bill's words again because she understood from that day forward that he loved her. That was her real question. Did he love her?
Even the heart of the unjust accuser is before a God Who knows all of our "whys." In His court there is not only justice but reconciliation because that is what Jesus lives for.
Nice story. I guess bc the bride's parents pay, any imperfection may seem like they didn't do it well enough.
ReplyDeleteI arranged some of my wedding & the florist sprayed daisies different colors, when I asked for a variety of colors in my bouquet. Well, he only charged me $82, but that was in '69. And Jim's brother took the pics, but left the lens cover on. So we have a half dozen pictures. We were married at the Catholic church on my name day (only I could take communion. My parents had to be married in the rectory of the church in NYC bc Mom was Church of England.)I redid my grad dress (we wore long white dresses at the Immaculate Heart HS event in the Hollywood Bowl)with Austrian lace & we had our reception at home. A simple but nice celebration. And we went camping for our honeymoon.
How kind of Bill to take such an effort to understand his MIL. And what restoration it brought. Nice to read how your Dad did the right thing. I know he hadn't always been like that.
I read your blogs from time to time, & enjoy the stories. Blessings!