Chapter 29
Mark put the last bow on the last candle and stepped back. His back hurt, his shoulders ached, and his feet were almost numb, but they'd gotten all the candles done.
"Wow. I didn't know for sure whether we would get that finished or not," Olivia said, standing beside him, her arm around his waist.
He wrapped his arm around her shoulder and pulled her close to him.
"I knew we were gonna get it done," he said softly. Confident the way a man could be when he depended on God.
It was crazy the way God had worked in his life over the last couple of years, bringing him to Mistletoe Meadows, handing him the Secret Saint ministry, a church full of wonderful people who wanted to grow closer to God—and the numbers as well—and now, best of all, a wife and family of his own.
"We don't have too much time to admire it. You need to be at the church in forty-five minutes."
"I have some men coming to carry these boxes over for the candlelight service, so you don't need to worry about anything. And you need to be at the church in forty-five minutes too. I'm betting it takes you slightly longer to get ready than it does me."
She laughed. "If I had the boys, I'd agree with you, but I've barely seen them since my parents arrived. They've not wanted to let the boys out of their sight, and... it feels so good to have the family together."
"Yeah. Who would've thought that they would be here for our wedding?
" They had decided that they would get married on Christmas Eve after the candlelight service, rather than on Christmas Day.
Pastor Powell, retired from a church in the next town, was going to be officiating, and Mark, while he was very nervous—just because this was a huge step and he knew it—was looking forward to it.
They'd already decided that the family would live at the parsonage, and Olivia had been talking about giving up her candle business so that she could be a full-time wife and mother and pastor's wife.
He wanted her to do what she felt God was leading her to, but he couldn't fault her for wanting to let the business go. He would prefer that she devote herself to the higher calling of being a mother and a wife and serving God through the church.
Although, he couldn't deny that the money would be nice.
However, he was one hundred percent confident that God would provide.
"I guess we'll have a story to tell our grandchildren, that we had forty-five minutes to prepare for our wedding."
He laughed. "I bet there are not too many people who got ready for their wedding in less time."
"I would imagine that you're right."
He hugged her, leaning down and pressing his lips to her forehead.
He loved this woman with his whole heart and soul, and knew that he would spend the rest of his life doing everything in his power to be the best husband and father that he could possibly be.
He was looking forward to it. He had spent enough time alone that he would appreciate every second of having someone beside him.
"All right. I'm gonna grab a box and carry it with me, and I'll be back over to walk you guys over to the church."
"All right. I'll make sure everyone's ready."
The candles were perfect for the candlelight service, and if Mark had to say so himself, it was possibly the nicest service he'd ever been in.
Beautiful, spirit-filled, and with a reminder of Jesus and the gospel—that he came to earth not just to be born in a stable for us to celebrate Christmas, but because everything pointed to the cross.
The suffering and the death and what Jesus gave up and sacrificed in order for mankind to be able to experience salvation.
It was because of the great love of God, but salvation would not be possible without the suffering of Christ. No one really wanted to talk about suffering because everyone wanted to focus on happy things, but it was good to keep that in the forefront of one's mind, because one had a tendency to be more appreciative of the free gift of salvation when one remembered the cost that Jesus paid for it.
Still, as he stood beside Olivia, holding their candles and singing "Silent Night" with the rest of the congregation, he thought about his marriage ahead, and hopefully the decades that they would have together—the many, many Christmas services that they would share.
He looked at Pastor Powell, his arm also around his wife, who did not look like she was doing very well.
Pastor Powell hadn't said, and unfortunately, Mark realized he'd been too busy to ask.
Perhaps this would be her last Christmas.
Someday, forty years from now, he and Olivia would be standing in that same place.
It could be sad, except they would be closer to heaven than they were right now, and that was the ultimate end—being with Jesus for eternity.
This world was just a temporary place, no matter how cozy and wonderful it was.
But a temporary place that they had to do their best to live for the Lord in, until God decided to take them home.
Most of the folks who were at the Christmas Eve service in the packed church stayed for the wedding, since the church remained very crowded.
It was simple and beautiful, and Olivia was radiant as a bride.
Her parents stood in the front row with the boys between them, beaming as they watched their daughter get married. Mark had been so happy to see their relationship mended over the week that they'd spent getting to know each other again.
He knew that life wouldn't be perfect, but he also knew that Olivia appreciated her parents and their perspective much more than she did a few years ago.
"I now pronounce you man and wife. You may kiss your bride," Pastor Powell said, his eyes twinkling, as though he knew that this was the part that Mark had been looking forward to.
He bent down, kissing his wife, and appreciating the fact that this was just the first of many.
It wasn't a long kiss, but it was full of promise, as they broke apart and he looked into her eyes for just a moment.
Yeah, there was a lifetime there. A lifetime of Christmases, of joy, of cozy evenings by the fire, of frantic days of work, of helping people in their community, of long days just doing the right thing.
All of that made a life, and he had to admit, he was looking forward to theirs.