This weekend was one of the best weekends I have had in a very long time. It was amazing for so many reasons, but one of the most amazing reasons was that one of my very best friends got married to such an amazing guy.
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There is an amazing book that has changed me and shaped me as a single woman and the interesting thing about that is that it is a book on Biblical Marriage. The name of the book is called Sacred Marriage. The main premise of the book was that marriage is not to make us happy, as the American culture would make us to believe, but to make us holy. This idea was the theme of this weekend.
Taylor and Ryan – two sinful people – coming together to become one and to glorify the Lord together “until death do us part.” Two sinful people journeying through life lavished in the grace that the Lord has freely given to them. Two people worthy of death but given life – and given life abundantly.
From the time the weekend started at the rehearsal, I knew it was going to be something special. I met all of Ryan’s groomsmen, hung out with all the bridesmaids, and got to talk with their families. They were all very intentional people. You could tell that the choices and decisions they made were to glorify the Lord. All the men were gentlemen and all the women were sweet, kind, caring, and thoughtful.
At the rehearsal lunch, Taylor and Ryan took time to say something special about each and every one of the people in their wedding party. Each person mentioned was so significant in their lives and you could tell that they have invested time into each other’s lives. It was a special moment for everyone.
That night, we went to thousand pines to set things up. I began to see how intentional and purposeful the wedding actually was.
Every single detail was thought out. Every single decoration simple, yet so perfect and spot on to Taylor and Ryan’s relationship. Every activity perfected to them – food, dancing, the drinks, games, the ceremony…
And the ceremony…I don’t think you could have changed one thing to make it more perfect, more them, or more purposeful. Every, single part of the ceremony was centered around the Lord – their vows to each other, their vows to their friends and family, the time of worship and communion, the kiss…everything! They had a time of vows to each other, but the coolest part of the ceremony in my opinion was that they made vows to their friends and family as a couple. I cried through all of it (not a huge surprise, I know, but still….). It was beautiful.
Then the reception…geez was that a good time or what?! I got to see another side of Ryan – his friends. You know that you can tell the character of a person by their friends. This could not have been more true. I sat down at the reception and realized that I was the only girl at the table I chose to sit at. The rest of the table were the groomsmen. This was so great because though I didn’t get to talk much, I got to hear them talk a whole lot and hear them ask lots of questions. This was very enlightening. I got asked questions like “what do you think about ‘big foot’? or the zombie apocalypse?” “What are your views on religion/politics?” “Where did you grow up?” “What did you study in college?” “What do you want to do in life?” Etc. Etc. Etc.
They especially liked my answer to “what would I do if there was an actual zombie apocalypse?” All I said was “shot gun – double tap”. After that comment, I was officially welcomed to the guys table…haha
Anyways, these questions weren’t really exciting because I got to answer them, but they were exciting because I got to see a side of Taylor’s new husband that I’d never seen before – his friends. I realized that his friends were more concerned about talking to me than they were about talking about the next football game or video game. They were interested in other people. They were men of character. They looked to the interests of others rather than their own interests. And to go back to what I said earlier “You know that you can tell the character of a person by their friends.”
I knew after the whole span of events yesterday that my dear, sweet friend left a loving and caring family to start another loving and caring family because she has a great, God-fearing husband to lead her. They both are seeking to glorify the Lord in everything they do and they are looking to magnify God’s greatness through their redeemed lives. I am so humbled to have been apart of Taylor and Ryan’s big day. I am so humbled to be apart of their lives in the future…
Thank you Lord for marriage and for redemption and grace. Lord, you are good!
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