THE STORY BEHIND THE COVER 

When trying to get together my Web site, March, 2007, I learned that products needed a picture to go with them. I had no pictures for the twelve modules explanations. It was then I was able to see what Barbara W. had seen in the vision God gave her a couple years earlier after she had given a dramatic presentation of the bride of Christ to our women’s group. Barbara spoke these words: “I see the women here in bridal gowns on a stage, but it’s different somehow.”           

I recounted all this at our April, 2007, meeting. Carol J. S., the speaker that day, spoke up, “Yesterday afternoon I was praying about this meeting. As I lifted my hands to God, I felt a warm blanket come over me. God spoke to my heart that this was his wedding garment, and that He was giving one to each of the women in this group.”           

I took my camera to that April meeting, and afterward, each woman agreed her picture should appear on the Web site and/or cover of the book; then, later the Lord showed me others He wanted on it. A few were unable get me their picture, but I had to go with what I had.           

Later, I told Jo S. what happened at the April meeting. She said a couple days earlier, God revealed to her, “I’m lifting the veil from the eyes of my bride.”           

About March 1 of 2008, I presented the manuscript to my publisher. They said they could only use ten pictures for the cover. I knew this was not what the Lord intended. Knowing there had to be a way, I discovered another dimension to the Chinese proverb, “I hear and I forget. I see and I remember. I write and I understand”––that of “I do and I see”––or just maybe faith.           

That night, I prayerfully pulled up all the pictures in my picture program. I saw a button I’ve never seen before––Print as Icons. After clicking it, all the faces showed up! This whole idea was inspired from seeing the cover of a magazine of women’s faces with text in the center. After printing the pictures, I cut out the nine faces in the center and pasted them on the right and bottom. As I drew the center square, I realized it had to be a perfect square and a cube, to represent heaven where we will someday live (see Rev. 21:16). As I formatted the text box I knew it had to be rather thick as the walls of New Jerusalem. Since we aren’t there yet, I sensed it had to be red to stand for the blood of Jesus that hems us in now––the hedge placed around us and our households and everything we have (see Job 1:10).           

I placed two military wedding pictures of our children on two corners, where they would fit––to tie in the underlying theme; then, God spoke to my heart, you have four bridal pictures. As I placed the other two, I knew it confirmed that from the four corners of the earth Jesus will very soon call His bride to Himself.           

Still, I had a problem: the file had to be saved a certain way, and when that was done, every cut and paste was visible. After three months the cover was still “pending” at the publisher––like a medical claim ‘out there’ with a problem no one wants to touch. Worried that night, I prayed about it. The Lord reminded me of what Jo Swezey said about the veil--lace would hide that cut and paste. I presented the idea and within two days, I received the cover file.           

As I pulled up the cover on-line, I could only see the top. As I scrolled down, I began to realize this was not a veil; the beading revealed it was a wedding dress! I was overwhelmed. Jesus has given us a picture of the wedding gown [we can relate to] He has already placed on His bride––that He told Carol J.S. about. I looked up what “icon” meant: “to resemble; a pictorial representation; a sign (as a word or graphic symbol) whose form suggests its meaning.”            

Jesus has chosen these beautiful people to be a pictorial representation of His bride––His one-hundred percent, lovely, committed people.   

The following day, I wanted to know what more the Bible said about our clothes. Revelation 19:14 says they will be white linen. I hate linen; it wrinkles. His reply: “it doesn’t wrinkle where I am.” He taught me that if we are faithful and obedient to Him and determined to live with a clean heart, He will cover every flaw. Turning to Song of Solomon, I came to Chapter 4, Verse 9:

“You have stolen my heart, my sister, my bride; you have stolen my heart.”

Copyright 2008 - Ann Morgan Miesner