A WORD FOR TODAY, October 2, 2025
Peggy Hoppes
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Blessings. Peg
A WORD FOR TODAY, October 2, 2025
“But concerning brotherly love, you have no need that one write to you. For you yourselves are taught by God to love one another, for indeed you do it toward all the brothers who are in all Macedonia. But we exhort you, brothers, that you abound more and more; and that you make it your ambition to lead a quiet life, and to do your own business, and to work with your own hands, even as we instructed you, that you may walk properly toward those who are outside, and may have need of nothing.” 1 Thessalonians 4:9-12, WEB
We attended a wedding when we lived in England. The couple, Will and Norma, had a most unusual courtship, a witness to the powerful hand of God, our heavenly Father. I met Norma in a Christian chat room on the Internet. She was a lovely lady and a gifted poet who set her words to music in her head. One day she told her friends in the chat room that she had no formal musical training and could not put her songs on paper. Will, who was a musician, happened to be in the room at the time and offered his help. After a long conversation online, they talked on the phone for even longer. They knew very early in their relationship that God had brought them together to be partners in music ministry. They soon realized that God brought them together for more. Will asked Norma to marry him and the wedding we attended was the culmination of this whirlwind romance.
Every detail of the wedding was watched over by God, and was the whole weekend was planned in a way that glorified Him. God made His presence known on the night of the rehearsal by creating a rainbow in a gloomy sky. The rehearsal was chaotic, but even in the midst of the problems we were praising God in the music and fellowship. I was honored to lead the opening prayer, and my family was blessed to be part of this special occasion. The wedding itself was a service of Worship and Praise to God, where two people just happened to get hitched. God was the focus, and we joined in one voice to glorify Him.
We were the only Americans at the wedding. This provided a never-ending source of amusement for Will, who referred to us as “the people who talk funny.” Zoe the flower girl told us how much she loved our accent. It is strange being a foreigner, but we were made to feel welcome and dearly loved. Several people even gave us their personal information with an invitation to visit them.
We were foreigners in many ways, particularly nationality and denomination, but also in the way we came to know Will and Norma. In this age of technology, the Internet provides a unique way of getting to know people. I had many friends in the chat rooms that I never met face to face. Sadly, there are many people online who are not trustworthy. They remain anonymous, often lying about their identity; I’ve heard too many horror stories of people who have fallen prey to predators on the net. Yet, Will and Norma’s story is a wonderful example of how God can use modern technology to accomplish His will.
Despite the cultural and religious differences, we had with the other guests at the wedding, we spent many hours visiting with them, sharing our common love and faith. We also talked about our hope for Christ’s Church in the days to come. We offered prayer and support for Will and Norma’s ministry, as well as each other’s, sincerely interested in hearing about God’s work in every life. Christ was present in that place; the people we met knew about His love. We were brothers and sisters in Christ, treating one another accordingly. The love those guests showed my foreign family shined as a light to those who were present whose faith was wavering or non-existent. One woman shared her story with me, a story of pain and lost faith. She had been afraid to come, but by the end of the evening, she was so thankful to have been part of this movement of God.
Who are the foreigners in your life? What can you be doing today to win their respect and shine the light of our Lord Jesus Christ? Follow Paul’s advice and love one another. You never know what seeds might be planted!
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