Page 82 of Surrender
“Who gives this woman to be wed?” the pastor asked.
Mr. Lewis smiled. “I do.”
He kissed Kachelle’s cheek, then placed her hand in mine. I helped her onto the altar, immediately pulling her in for a long pressed kiss.
“You just said forget the service order, huh?” Jessa said aloud.
The crowd laughed as I pulled back.
“I had to get it out of my system,” I said. “Take it away, Pastor.”
He chuckled. “Well, thank you. Dearly beloved…”
The entire time he spoke, I couldn’t take my eyes off my wife. It was like we were back at the altar for the first time, and I was struck by her beauty. I’d been staring so hard that I didn’t hear the pastor call my name. Jessa lightly smacked the back of my head.
“Your vows, fool,” she said with a giggle.
“Right!” I took the microphone. “As y’all can see, I still get love-struck by this beautiful woman.”
Cheers and whistles of agreement caused Kachelle to blush. I took her hand in mine as I spoke.
“A whole year later and I’m even more certain that God made you for me. You have been my perfect compliment. My soul tethered itself to yours the moment I laid eyes on you. You are everything I hoped for… everything I prayed for… everything I thank God for. From the moment we said I do, it has been my mission for over 365 days to be the man I was called to be for you. You, Kachelle, are my biggest blessing. Our daughter is my greatest.
“Watching you be a mother to our baby has made me fall so much deeper in love with you. You give so much of yourself to us, and you do it with such grace. You are the best wife and mother, and I am so lucky that I get to experience life and love with you. You have introduced me to parts of my heart that I never knew existed. Today, I reaffirm my promises to be your provider, your caretaker, and your protector.
“I carry you in my spirit. I value and cherish your very existence. You are my blessing, my peace, and my wildest dream come true. God prepared me for you and because of him, I’ve always got you. I love you with everything I am and everything I will become, now and forever.”
A tear slipped down her cheek, as she kissed the back of my hand. Some of our guests were already swiping tears of their own. I handed Kachelle the microphone. She took a deep breath, and I knew she was about to make a grown man cry.
“Jacob… I have always been surrounded by so much love, yet I longed for something that I couldn’t fully put into words until I met you. You are the embodiment of what it means to take a chance on God and watch Him provide you with everything you need. My biggest flex is having you as my husband. I love you without reservations or conditions because you have given your love to me so freely. I have never felt more connected to another human being until I met you.
“You’ve listened. You’ve been unselfish, and you’ve been intentional in the way you love me. Before I ever had any knowledge of you… before I ever interacted with you, I fully believe that our spirits were divinely tethered. Though we were initially chosen for each other, I have chosen you every day since. Every page of this love story we’ve written affirms that I was called to you and you to me.
“Our daughter is our love in human form. Watching you be a father to her… watching you love and protect her… it soothes my soul. You and Jayelle are the reason I know God shows me favor. You are the product of my faith… the substance of all things hoped for, and the evidence of things not seen. I surrender my life and my love to you. Forever and always.”
The pastor didn’t get a chance to say anything else before my lips were on hers. The kiss we shared was passionate and filled with so much emotion that I couldn’t take it. I dropped to my knees right there, took her hands, and prayed a prayer of thanks for this woman.
She was my love.
She was my heart and my soul.
She was home.
THE END
