Ahhhh Weddings.....

I attended a wedding yesterday. I love weddings! I always think about how every person in the church is experiencing the moment differently, depending on what chapter of their life they’re in.

The couple happily married fifty years may be nostalgic – remembering how much they loved each other on their wedding day - astonished that they love each other so much more today. They’re probably wearing one those goofy grins as they think of their long and happy life they’ve shared. Of course, two pews ahead, there’s bound to be another couple who’s just endured the longest fifty years of their lives together and death is sounding pretty good right now.

There’s probably a couple or two who’ve only been married a short ten years and still remember how free they were to love each other, before all the children came along. Now, all that love is multiplied, but also divided. With young children, that free love comes in stolen moments; between diaper changes, meltdowns, and temper tantrums. Of course, two pews ahead, there’s a couple who welcome the distraction of a dirty diaper, because their honeymoon ended shortly after the actual honeymoon. So sad.

Then there’s the couple who’s children are grown and living their own adult lives. These couples are entering the second honeymoon phase - rediscovering what it is they love so much about the person they married and who that person has evolved into. It’s sort of like falling in love all over again. And two pews ahead, there’s a couple who’s children have flown the coupe, and left behind two perfect strangers in the house together. These people need to do some serious dating again if they don’t want to end up like the couple married fifty years, praying for the end of their own life.

Of course, there’s always a few single people in the crowd wondering what it would be like to find that person who is different than any other person they’ve met. They can’t imagine meeting a person who makes them think, “You know, I’ve met a lot of people in my life and I’ve liked most of them. Some of them became my friends because I liked them so much. I dated some of them because not only did I like them, they made my heart do a little dance. But until now, I never thought to choose just one of them to walk hand in hand with me for the rest of my life! But you know what? No matter what comes my way, you ARE THE ONE person I want by my side at all times”.

That’s seriously heavy stuff. Watching two people stand up there and proclaim that this is the one person they’ve chosen to walk beside, no matter what, until the day they die is a serious statement. It’s inspiring to say the least. I’m actually thinking about doing it myself someday. We’ll see…..