I told Jonathan today, in the craziness of wedding planning, address hunting, and computer-screen buggy-eyed headaches.... "promise me this is the last time we're planning a wedding!"
He promised.
---whew!--- what a relief!
I have literally put about 20 hours of work into our wedding in the past four days.
four days. twenty freaking hours. that's on top of life, jonathan, a full time job, and sleep. you do the math.
But here's what the post is really about... it puts things into perspective, especially for me.
My wedding is not simply just a formal ceremony to celebrate Jonathan and I getting married. Oh, it is so much more than that. We could have all the perfect decorations, beautiful dresses, delicious gourmet foods, terrific music and dancing... all the right friends and family with their shiny happy faces full of tears at the romance and pride of us, the beautiful young couple, embarking on an endless journey of marital bliss...
and yes, we would be married
but we would also miss the opportunity of a lifetime in the midst of all that is the "wedding monster", as some so affectionately call it.
This is our chance.
And I believe God is asking us, "are you going to take it, or waste it?"
And what is this chance, exactly?
I believe God is asking us to use this opportunity, while everyone we know and love is standing right there before us... to GLORIFY HIM.
Well, duh, of course we will... after all, it is a wedding. Is not God glorified when two Christians come together under the covenant of marriage? Does He not bless the family unit? A man and his wife that live according to His Word?
Yes, he is glorified. And yes, He will bless us if we live rightly. And yes, we do fully intend to glorify Him in our wedding and marriage.
It is not that a marriage ceremony is without something sacred in itself. But if we can make it more obvious, more full of light, and love, and the words of Christ... should we not move at that chance? What other time in our lives are we going to have everyone's full attention in such a formal and beautiful way? When people's hearts are generally more open and receptive to such sacred and holy things...
I can only think of one other time.
At our funeral.
I pray we start earlier than that!
So how do we answer that call? It is different for everyone... but we have discovered that we have a very unique opportunity right in the midst of the flowers, the candles, the music, the food and dancing, the laughter and tears of joy, the special and memorable moments we'll share... and that is very simple:
We want to give back to Him.
Consider it a "tithe" for God's blessings to us this summer.
What more appropriate way to thank God for what He is giving us in a spouse, as well as all the beautiful things that make our wedding and marriage start right?
A gift of thankfulness... and you know, that's the theme of our wedding.
"Always Thankful"
That was also the theme of our relationship from the very beginning. Yep, we have the journal entries, emails, and letters to prove it. We have done our best to be always thankful.
It's a command, too, you know.
It is certainly not about us, as much as weddings appear and sometimes strive to be. Yes, it is Jonathan and I that will be participating in a formal ceremony. Yes, people will be looking to us and joining in our joy of being married... but if it was just about us... have we really succeeded at all? Heaven forbid we should make it about ourselves, for God is the very One who brought us together in the first place! Of course we should make it about Him, our Matchmaker!
God has graced both Jonathan and I with an upbringing that has molded us into having naturally appreciative and grateful personalities. We thank each other, we thank God, we thank those around us (oh but we are still very human and flawed, please don't think I am trying to present myself as any more holy or perfect than I really am)... and we want our wedding to reflect that. Thankfulness. THANK YOU GOD!
So, for those of you that will be joining us at our wedding: take note of those 'offerings', you might say, of thankfulness.
In our ceremony, the symbolism, the words, our vows, the special touches...
At our reception, our gift back to others, and an opportunity for you to be a part of that, too.
We are unique people. We do things differently. We did not want a typical wedding... we wanted it to reflect our styles, personalities, and heart--and especially the heart of God. And we hope you will walk away feeling appreciated, and, more importantly, that God met you there, and that you were a part of something bigger than ourselves.
For those who we will not be seeing at our wedding, we pray you will be people with thankful hearts, because we thank God for you, too.
One chance. One time. Will we take it, or waste it?
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