Summer, the following year…
Wesley stood next to his brother, clad in a grey suit and sporting fancy cowboy boots, at the front of the church. He squeezed Randy’s shoulder as he awaited his bride. Randy’s smile couldn’t be brighter.
The music selection changed, and the bridesmaids began their ascent up the aisle. First came Holly’s sisters, then Wesley’s own gorgeous wife, Shannon, stood as Holly’s matron-of-honor. Next came his precious girls, four-and-a-half-year-old Melanie and two-year-old Olivia, who dropped flower petals along the aisle runner. He glanced to his wife, who evidenced the life growing within her womb, a testament to the love they shared and God’s blessing upon their lives. They exchanged a smile.
Moments seemed to tick by as the doors in back of the auditorium closed. The congregation stood as the “Wedding March” wafted through the sanctuary. The doors opened again, and his brother’s bride seemed to float toward them. Wesley glanced at Randy, who clenched and unclenched his hands.
Randy wiped away a tear, but his smile never dimmed. “She’s so beautiful.” His brother couldn’t seem to take his eyes off his bride-to-be as he walked down the steps of the platform to claim Holly from her father’s arm.
Wesley looked out at the wedding guests. Among them were Holly’s parents and extended family, members of their church congregation, his and Randy’s parents, and both sets of grandparents, including Grandpa and Grandma Stoltz, dressed in Amish attire.
His paternal grandparents had been excommunicated from their Amish fellowship, but still held onto the core values of their community. Now they could openly fellowship with their entire family, which fulfilled a lifelong desire in their hearts. Wesley realized that sometimes one had to lose something valuable to gain something greater, but doing so required faith in the God who fashioned each of them.
When the preacher announced Randy and Holly as husband and wife, his brother probably broke the record for the longest wedding kiss in the history of the church. This resulted in the hooting and hollering of the wedding party, who shared smiles all around.
God knew all along that Holly was the perfect match for Randy. She had not only encouraged him in his relationship with God, but she’d taught him how to love with his whole heart. And Wesley had no doubt that the two of them would live happily ever after, by God’s grace.
THE END
Amish Christmas Miracles is a collection of 14 BRAND NEW Amish Christmas stories!
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