Joyful Submission

It’s amazing to me how the Lord is always true to His promises.
“I will never give you more then you can bear; I will always provide a way out for you to stand up under.”

 I mean, I know His promises are true. I’ve experienced them again and again in my life. And yet sometimes things happen which challenging and confront the depth of planting of those beliefs. Today I want to take some time to share a story of unyielding steadfastness, undying perseverance, and joyful obedience out of a love for out God and Savior.

As long I’ve known her, she’s been one of the most stable, unyielding, self-less, and wise women in my life. Without a doubt, nothing I would ever tell her would change that; what a gift! From day one, I also saw something else about her that never wavered—her pursuit of purity and growing hunger to be enveloped in the love of Christ until, or if, (as she would often remind me) she met the man the Lord had chosen for her. Some days she battled it out more then others. Regardless, I knew she’d be just fine either way. Even as close friends continued walking down the aisle one after the next, it really never bothered me that Ash hadn’t met her man yet. Honestly, for a long time I really doubted that there would be one out there good enough for her; I mean, there are some great guys out there who love the Lord and are fully pursuing Him, but we all knew she was worth far more then some “great guy in love with Jesus.” He would have to exceed great…perhaps exceptional would begin to paint the picture.

As the years progressed without meeting the one, I watched this precious woman fall more and more in love with Jesus. Her heart often ached in necessity of knowing Him more, loving better, giving selflessly. A beautiful, pure, spotless, beloved Bride of Christ—she always knew who she was. She continued walking in Christ’s promises and the duties He’d given her for the time. She loved the heck outa high schoolers—she loved the heck outa messed up kids like me! As our relationship grew, I began to note what an incredible momma she would be one day. As she so selflessly lavished her motherly wisdom, abundant grace, and discipline upon me, a little spanking once in a while came with a whole lotta love; what an incredible mom she would be one day! What a waste if she were not to marry! I think I realized about three years ago that eventually, the Lord would “wow” us all with His sovereign plan!

When she first met him last December, he barely glanced up at her, refusing to so much as give her the time of day. If only he knew he’d just met the one he was to spend his life with! But of course the Lord is perfect in His timing…it didn’t take too long for him to show this man what an extraordinary woman Ash was! When Ash got a little short with me before going up on stage to sing one night at Zoe, it hit me; she was really nervous to sing in front of him. That was the first moment I knew this was the real deal. Just maybe this was the one she had been awaiting.

I will never forget when he asked me over the phone one night if he should marry her. I laughed as I jokingly replied, “Yes, but only if you pop the question before I leave to go overseas!” (Which would happen just two weeks later.) Ash laughed as I made such a preposterous suggestion considering at that point they had only been dating a few weeks.

The night Anthony popped the question!

Believe it or not, he actually took my suggestion to heart. The night before Ash had to drive me to the airport, the phone rang late at night. On the other end I hear, “Welp, were engaged!” WHHHHHHATTTT??? AHHHH!!!!! I’d just spent the whole day with her and said goodbye to Anthony when he came to pick her up for their date, and now…well now they were husband and wife to be! I think my heart skipped a few beats in that moment. But I guess as Ash would say…when you know, you know! They knew the Lord had created them to become one. Four months later, on a beautiful October evening they wed.

Since their wedding day, life has brought some unexpecteds and joys, some hurts and victories. What an incredible gift it has been to watch them walk through married life together. Anthony opened his own State Farm Agency this past winter which the Lord has blessed abundantly. He is such a faithful provider and hard worker for his wife. Following the leading of the Lord, not long after their union the newlyweds were faced with some difficult circumstances which led to some big changes, especially for Ashley.

A selfless, submissive heart does not begin to describe the way Ash handled it all. Through the tears and unknowns, I once again watched her cling to the Word and steadfastness of her first love, which compelled her to cleave to her husband, obediently and joyfully. All those years, she taught me and explained to me what it means for a woman to submit to her hubby and why it’s so important that the Lord created us this way. I heard her and believed her, but always doubted (even up to this year) the realistic application of such counter-cultural principles. I mean, could people really live as one like this…continually dying to themselves for the betterment of their spouse? Do sinners really have the ability to sacrafice greatly for another? What does it really look like for a woman to submit to a man? If you ask me—scary.

With tears in my eyes, a heart overflowing with thankfulness for her living out what she preaches once again, I am so proud of you Ashley Luster. As you have so graciously allowed me to be apart of your life, to cry with you, to rejoice with you, I have seen what it means to live this out through watching you. What a beautiful picture of Christ’s love for us! Thank you for being such a faithful wife. You love, honor, and cherish Anthony even when he is not in the room. You speak nothing but life over him and your marriage. Thank you for not hesitating to submit to his leading, even when it requires sacrifice.

precious couple

And sacrifice you have—you have really had to wrestle through some things. Through that wrestling I have seen your dependency on the Lord strengthened and refined, your love for your husband flourish. Your life the past several months has taught me so much about marriage and how it really does make you look more like Jesus. The joy with which you obey and die to yourself points all the glory to Christ. Apart from Him, I know you couldn’t do it. Yet with Him all things are possible—even a godly marriage in which you lovingly sacrifice your desires for the joy of another. Joyful submission to a man. Wow. What a concept. Just how the Lord intended for marriage to be...after all, He never called us to look like the world, did He? What a blessing that the Lord would so graciously begin to teach me about wifehood as a twenty-year-old through simply doing life alongside you.

on thier wedding day

All the years you devoted your heart and life to the pursuit of Christ as your lover have strengthened you to love your hubby well and enabled you to joyfully follow his leading, just as Christ has called you to do so many times before. Thank you for your obedience to the Father and to your husband. Thank you for continually challenging me in my relationship with the Lord and refusing to let me get too comfortable. Thank you for teaching me and loving me so well. Through doing life with you, the Lord is continually engraving His ways deeply upon my heart. I am so proud of the wife you are, Ashley Luster. Most of all, thank you for loving your husband.