Dear Dad,

Think very, very seriously before you have a daughter. Raising her will take a lot of blood, sweat and tears; but she will be your greatest joy and most precious jewel. That is why they are so hard to give up when another man comes into her life. My jewel is named Ginger, she turns 20 years old this month.

She gets married tomorrow!

I can’t wait to see her marry the man of her dreams – – he is truly a godly man. But I also must admit, it will be hard to release her. I think the difficulty comes in the realization that her wedding day is really here! I didn’t see it coming. It all starts so subtly: You and your wife have this baby riding in the back seat. You drive 5 miles an hour just to make sure no bump on the road, or swerve of the car, will wake her up or jostle her neck.

Next thing you know, she is 3 years old putting make-up on your face while your wife is out buying groceries. She is the only one that could ever get you to put on fingernail polish…but you do it because you know it makes her happy. You will do anything for one smile from your little girl.

Time speeds up. Pictures in front of her new school. Sleep-overs with 6 of her giggling friends watching “The Princess Diaries”. Summer camp where one week seems like a lifetime.

And then she meets him, the man who starts occupying all of her time.

It all happens so fast. You don’t have time to consider what is going on. But I guess that is how God intended it? When you really love someone, you live more in the moment than counting the years that fly by. When you love someone, you are there for the midnight conversations or jokes at the dinner table and you don’t really notice your baby girl has turned into an amazing woman.

So if you are a father of a daughter – get ready – if you do your job right, that day will come in the blink of an eye. When you have done all the little, but important things, your job demands; from reading her books before bedtime, or telling her she is beautiful when her fragile teenager’s mind wonders if she is pretty – – your daughter will all of a sudden blossom like a rose in spring. Your girl becomes a lady.

And if you really have done your job right, they are more than ready to live a new life with God’s chosen man, and you know his blessing is upon them.

So dad, are you up for the greatest challenge you will ever face? Raising a daughter to become a bride? There is nothing more rewarding.

Oh happy day!