Mike and Vanessa

Last Friday, I had the pleasure - no; the distinct HONOR - to take part in Vanessa and Mike's wedding day.

For those of you who don't yet know, Mike and Vanessa are the recipients of this year's SF Dream Wedding Giveaway. You can read their story here.

This blog post isn't about their backstory. It isn't about how they've struggled and dealt with hardships that could incapacitate the strongest of us all. It isn't about Vanessa's cancer and it isn't about Mike's oversea deployments that keep him away from Vanessa.

What this post is about is something bigger and more important than all of that. It's about Mike and Vanessa's love for one another, their love for God and their unconquerable hope.

Recently, my wife went through a scary surgery that shook the foundation of our home. She has since been on the road to recovery and I thank God that, in hindsight, it could have been much, much worse. But I'm more aware than ever that the relationships you build and the lives of people are the single most important things on earth. The support and building up of these relationships are our single most important task.

 When I spent the day with Mike and Vanessa, I literally forgot that they were in the midst of hardship. They never once complained. They never once shed a tear of remorse or self-pity. Not one harsh word came from their lips. In fact, the only things I recall being said were all complimentary and encouraging. They did nothing but bring cheer to whichever room they entered. Their friends and family were all glowing with joy when they saw them and I literally felt blessed to have witnessed it.

We didn't have a chance to really chat or have a heart-to-heart like I would have liked to (and for those of you who know me, you know deep conversations are among my favorite things!) but I couldn't help but to feel close to them. I hope they feel the same about me.

I learned from my recent clash with the destructive power or our ailing human bodies that life is frail and, in many ways, hopeless. But seeing how my wife had recovered and how Mike and Vanessa continue to battle for victory, it's clear to me that hope cannot be defeated. And I've discovered that sharing each other's burdens and encouraging one another are invincible weapons against life's worst throes.

Mike and Vanessa are inspiring and amazing.

God bless Mike and Vanessa! We pray for their full recovery and the chance to glorify Him who deserves it most.

(photo by Amy Frulgoli)

The highlight video of their wedding will be coming soon! Stay tuned!

Comments

[janae shields]

Great post Andrew! Thanks so much for this. Personal connections and relationships are so important and its great to be reminded of that as often as possible. Just what I needed to read today!

[AndrewMSV]

Hi Janae!
Thanks for your comment and I'm glad this helped you refocus a little bit today. :-)
I hope your day continues to get better. Please call if you want to chat!

[el]

Always a pleasure working with you bro!

[AndrewMSV]

hey El Dawg - it's ALWAYS awesome to hear you spinning. You're one of the best out there, for sure.
cheers

[Robbie Schlosser]

WELL SAID, Andrew. Throughout life's unanswerable mystery, ultimately all we have is each other's strength and comfort. I recently told a friend that our job here is to do good, to do well, and to keep our promises. Everything else is details.