the woman in the wedding dress
There are three people in particular who directly contributed to making READY FOR HIM TODAY a reality. I have already introduced you to Lisa Manchester, the woman behind my cover design. Now it is time to introduce AB, the woman in the wedding dress, the energetic, zealous friend whom I asked to model on the front cover of my book.
I had heard of AB through mutual friends and we attended the same young adult Bible study for some time, but neither of us were great friends until she and I began to work together at the local crisis pregnancy center. AB told me later that her first impression of me was intimidating.
"She seems so...conservative. She always seems to know so much at the Bible study. She'll probably be judging me the whole time we work together! Oh Lord, help me to be a good friend and co-worker somehow."
For my part, I didn't know much about AB, except that a guy friend, whose family I'd known for years, was clearly very attracted to her. I also knew that she had been public schooled (I had been home schooled), but we had common ground because of our participation in high school cross-country running, although she and I had never run together, because she had joined the team the year after I graduated. I hoped that the sports background would help us to connect, despite the fact that she totally obliterated my best course times.
When we began to work together, the connection was instantaneous. We laughed that we had been so intimidated by each other and we soon formed a meaningful bond as we teamed up to serve women in crisis pregnancy situations. We learned together, we studied the Bible intensely together, we cried together over the hurts in the world around us, and--most of all--we prayed together, not just for a few minutes, but for hours upon hours. I told AB of my dream to publish READY FOR HIM TODAY and she was supportive of the project. I thought she was just being polite, until one day, as we prayed, she added, "And Lord, please help Yaasha publish her book for Christian girls. I know she cares very much about her message. Help her to finish it soon and know how to publish it." That was it--just a few sentences--but almost every week after that, she prayed for my book. She also prayed that the Lord would bring me a godly husband someday. Such prayers and concern for my desires not only strengthened my relationship with the Lord, but also deepened my relationship with my friend.
We prayed for my book for a year and a half. During that time, God answered another fervent prayer of ours, a prayer for AB to have a child. Eleven months before READY FOR HIM TODAY was born, AB's first son came into the world. Our joy was limitless, and I praised God for hearing my own prayers for my friend's desire.
Meanwhile, I was in the final preparations for actual publication and I needed a cover. When a vision for the front cover began to develop in my mind, I had specific needs for my model and no one I knew fit all of those specifications--no one, that is, but one person.
"I want you to be my model for my front cover," I announced to AB as she breezed by, preparing to leave the pregnancy center at the end of the day. She stopped and turned around, her dark chocolate eyes flashing me question marks and her mouth quirked with a quizzical grin.
"You want me to what?"
"Just humor me! You have beautiful hair, you're back to your pre-pregnancy weight, you already have a wedding dress that you look gorgeous in..." As she gathered up her diaper bag and squeezed her son into his jacket, I literally followed her around the center, explaining the project while she insisted that she wasnot model material.
"I'll send you an e-mail with the props we'll need," I called to her as she headed out the door.
"You're a nut case!" AB shot back.
A few months later, AB stood in front of the white oval-framed mirror that she had helped me to scrounge from a mutual friend's bedroom. She also held the wedding bouquet that she had borrowed from her recently-married sister. (Props to AB for the props!) You would have never known that AB had at first been a reluctant victim--ahem--volunteer, as she posed for Lisa Manchester, resolved potential continuity issues between the single woman/bride pictures, and fed her son Cheerios between shots to keep him quiet. Months later, she had been immortalized on numerous copies of READY FOR HIM TODAY, which are now finding their way into the hands of family, friends, and strangers alike.
I know that every woman's battle is her secret fear that she is not beautiful, but whenever I look at my cover, I am reminded that my friend's undeniable love for the Lord, her invaluable friendship to me, her genuine care for women and others, and--yes--her physical appearance are, indeed, immeasurably beautiful.
I had heard of AB through mutual friends and we attended the same young adult Bible study for some time, but neither of us were great friends until she and I began to work together at the local crisis pregnancy center. AB told me later that her first impression of me was intimidating.
"She seems so...conservative. She always seems to know so much at the Bible study. She'll probably be judging me the whole time we work together! Oh Lord, help me to be a good friend and co-worker somehow."
For my part, I didn't know much about AB, except that a guy friend, whose family I'd known for years, was clearly very attracted to her. I also knew that she had been public schooled (I had been home schooled), but we had common ground because of our participation in high school cross-country running, although she and I had never run together, because she had joined the team the year after I graduated. I hoped that the sports background would help us to connect, despite the fact that she totally obliterated my best course times.
When we began to work together, the connection was instantaneous. We laughed that we had been so intimidated by each other and we soon formed a meaningful bond as we teamed up to serve women in crisis pregnancy situations. We learned together, we studied the Bible intensely together, we cried together over the hurts in the world around us, and--most of all--we prayed together, not just for a few minutes, but for hours upon hours. I told AB of my dream to publish READY FOR HIM TODAY and she was supportive of the project. I thought she was just being polite, until one day, as we prayed, she added, "And Lord, please help Yaasha publish her book for Christian girls. I know she cares very much about her message. Help her to finish it soon and know how to publish it." That was it--just a few sentences--but almost every week after that, she prayed for my book. She also prayed that the Lord would bring me a godly husband someday. Such prayers and concern for my desires not only strengthened my relationship with the Lord, but also deepened my relationship with my friend.
We prayed for my book for a year and a half. During that time, God answered another fervent prayer of ours, a prayer for AB to have a child. Eleven months before READY FOR HIM TODAY was born, AB's first son came into the world. Our joy was limitless, and I praised God for hearing my own prayers for my friend's desire.
Meanwhile, I was in the final preparations for actual publication and I needed a cover. When a vision for the front cover began to develop in my mind, I had specific needs for my model and no one I knew fit all of those specifications--no one, that is, but one person.
"I want you to be my model for my front cover," I announced to AB as she breezed by, preparing to leave the pregnancy center at the end of the day. She stopped and turned around, her dark chocolate eyes flashing me question marks and her mouth quirked with a quizzical grin.
"You want me to what?"
"Just humor me! You have beautiful hair, you're back to your pre-pregnancy weight, you already have a wedding dress that you look gorgeous in..." As she gathered up her diaper bag and squeezed her son into his jacket, I literally followed her around the center, explaining the project while she insisted that she wasnot model material.
"I'll send you an e-mail with the props we'll need," I called to her as she headed out the door.
"You're a nut case!" AB shot back.
A few months later, AB stood in front of the white oval-framed mirror that she had helped me to scrounge from a mutual friend's bedroom. She also held the wedding bouquet that she had borrowed from her recently-married sister. (Props to AB for the props!) You would have never known that AB had at first been a reluctant victim--ahem--volunteer, as she posed for Lisa Manchester, resolved potential continuity issues between the single woman/bride pictures, and fed her son Cheerios between shots to keep him quiet. Months later, she had been immortalized on numerous copies of READY FOR HIM TODAY, which are now finding their way into the hands of family, friends, and strangers alike.
I know that every woman's battle is her secret fear that she is not beautiful, but whenever I look at my cover, I am reminded that my friend's undeniable love for the Lord, her invaluable friendship to me, her genuine care for women and others, and--yes--her physical appearance are, indeed, immeasurably beautiful.