Kathy Davenport contributing writer
Another Wedding Miracle
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ur daughter’s wedding wasn’t the first wedding
absolutely beautiful and a perfect match for the dress. Sim-
Julie started to cry and the rest of us tried to think of a way
celebration to which Jesus was invited. But, I
one also made an exquisite pillow for the ring bearer and a
to cover up the stain. Maybe we could put a bow on the back
guess His standard wedding gift is still a bouquet
gorgeous unity candle. Libby picked up $50 worth of silk flow-
of her dress? But that would ruin the look of the dress and
of blessings that add up to a miracle.
ers and Simone helped her fashion them into bouquets for all
it wouldn’t match the others, and we had no ribbon. There
The blessing really began six years before the wedding when
seven bridesmaids. The only money spent at the florist was
was no time; the limo had just arrived and it was almost
our daughter Libby met Neil at our church’s youth group. She
$175 for Libby’s bouquet and the various boutonnières and
time to leave for the church. I remember thinking, to my
was 13 and too young to “date,” and he was 16 and crazy
corsages.
shame, “What are we going to do, Lord? Even You couldn’t
about her. They were together constantly at youth group and
The blessings continued to flow like drops of water that
get that stain out.” But not knowing what else to do, I called
at church, and they spent hours on the phone. When Libby
eventually flow into a river. Kathy, another wonderful friend
my neighbors to see if they had anything they thought might
turned 16 and could formally date, you never saw one with-
and amateur seamstress from church, agreed to make all
work. One remembered something she had ordered off of TV
out the other. After a year apart for college, Neil gave Libby a
seven bridesmaids dresses. Libby picked out a very challeng-
and never used. I went to stall the limo driver while my mom
diamond. My husband and I were thrilled. What more could
ing pattern and some delicate ice pink material. Undaunted,
and sister went to work on the dress. In ten minutes, they had
we ask for than for our daughter to become engaged to a fine
Kathy charged ahead, learning to do things she had never
gotten every trace of the lipstick out of that delicate pale pink
young man from a wonderful family from our church?
done before. Meanwhile, I “happened” to find ice pink shoes,
dress with no damage to the material. The wedding started
They set a date and I really began to pray that God would
a perfect match, on a clearance rack for all seven bridesmaids
just a few minutes late and the rest of the day was perfect.
bless everything about this wedding. Libby was the first of
for $5 each!
The best part of this story actually happened a year be-
our seven children to marry, so I knew we were going into
Over and over, we marveled at how God provided every-
fore the beginning of the story and was not discovered until
uncharted waters. We knew we were setting a precedent for
thing we needed at just the right time and at a price that was
a month after I finished writing it all down (I had written it
future weddings and were conscious of how expensive they
more than right. But, like the wedding at Cana, the biggest
down because I love to write and I thought it would make a
can be. We wanted to give her a wonderful day but not go
miracle of all was saved for the day of the wedding. Septem-
good entry for a writer’s contest). About a month later, I was
into debt to do it.
ber 13, 1997 dawned bright and beautiful. My husband took
cleaning out my desk and came across a file of old letters. One
That’s when the blessings really began to flow in ear-
our other two boys, Dan and Zach, to get into their tuxedos
was a copy of a letter I had written to Libby shortly after her
nest. The first was the wedding dress. We went to a bridal
while the girls and I went to get out hair done. When we got
engagement. She was away working that summer and I told
consignment shop. Libby loved the first dress she tried on,
back to the house, the bridesmaids started arriving and going
her how anxious I was for her to come home so we could start
but we tried many others and also searched in traditional
up to Libby’s room to get dressed. Ann Marie, a childhood
planning her wedding and ran a few ideas by her. I told her
bridal shops. Finally, she went back to that first dress. It was a
friend of our oldest, Jessica, was going to do everyone’s
how, in prayer, the Lord had given me a scripture to assure me
sample, never worn and marked down over time from $1,200