Picking Your Apple

What a great day my family and I had. We visited Haney's Appledale Farm in Nancy, KY, then finished the afternoon off with some Mexican food at one of our favorite family restaurants in Somerset, El Charro.


Then, the evening finished off with a great conversation with my 8-year-old daughter, Lauren. Lauren initiated the conversation while everyone was still awake, and I believe one of the first parts of the conversation was something about her wanting to marry someone who loves God and hates Halloween :) I love it! Though hating Halloween isn't the primary decision-maker in choosing a spouse (nor is it the focus of this post) the deeper issue of loving God is of utmost importance as you determine who you will spend the rest of your life with.


After we had put all the boys to bed, Lauren and I continued to talk more about marriage while I held her in my arms. It was beautiful. So many times my thoughts can be with anything and everything else, but for tonight, we had a good father-daughter connection. She was wondering about marriage and is most definitely thinking about who she should marry (even giving me a specific young boy that I shall not reveal here!) I was surprised this level of thinking happens at this age, and I am also reminded that I am male and she is female. Girls dream about marriage from young so it seems while boys are caught up in adventures and the next thing that's going on I guess :)


Anyway, I shared with her about how her Mom and I got married, how I asked her to marry me (which my wife stepped in to help with the details ;) how old we were, how I asked her Dad permission to marry her Mom, etc. Again, to my surprise, she is already counting the years until she is 18, I believe being aware of marrying age! Yikes! Wake up Dad!


She was so open to what I was sharing with her, it was beautiful. The best advice I believe I gave her was to find a young man who is married to Jesus first. Who loves Jesus more than he loves even her. Similarly, I told her to find a man who loves Jesus as much as she does. How can she marry a man and start a family if they are not walking in step?


We got talking about when the young man will come to me as her Dad and ask permission to marry her, and then eventually ask her. It was just a wonderful moment that God gave us together that no doubt is helping to shape her thoughts and how she prepares for marriage and finds a spouse one day. Of course, she is learning most from my wife and my example that we daily live before all our kids.


I am so blessed to be married to a woman who is married to Jesus first and foremost. I am so thankful the Holy Spirit was involved as I "picked my apple," the love of my life, Elizabeth. I pray that Lauren will involve Him as well as her day to be married approaches, which is coming much sooner than Daddy realizes :)