The Upcoming Wedding
The Upcoming Wedding
My little sister is getting married in a two weeks. She will be the first of three to do so. Since she is the first of us three sisters to get married, she is the first to figure out how to plan a wedding. The process has not been smooth. It’s not the first time that I have seen her struggle with pressure, but I think it presses on her more because it is such a big day and because it is all with and in front of anyone and everyone that she loves and holds dear.
I am her maid of honor. A big part of my role is to calm her down, help her with decisions that seem like a make or break, and support her in a process that neither of us have ever experienced before. A lot of the advice I have given her leading up to her big day is that even though some of the decisions are hard, and the planning is stressful, she is going to forget all of that when the day comes.
As I reflect on this I realize that this relates a lot as well to our lives and the promise that the Kingdom of God will welcome us when that time comes for each of us.
Like a wedding, or life in general, everything might not go to plan. Plans may change or be made up of difficult decisions. Mistakes could be made, feelings could be hurt along the way, and expectations may seem to always rise and never settle. But, once that moment comes to marry the love of your life, it doesn’t matter that the road to get there may have been hard, stressful, imperfect, or full of uncertainty or mistakes. The only thing that matters in the moment, is that moment of pure joy, love, and unmistakable happiness and celebration.
With this in mind, it makes sense as to why Jesus often used weddings to describe the Kingdom of God. Life really is like a wedding banquet. The time leading up to the ceremony will be chocked full of mistakes and uncertainty, and there will be moments when we’re unsure if we can live up to Christ’s expectations. But if we continue to believe in Christ, then on the day when we stand before him, we will realize that none of those mistakes matter anymore. All that will matter is that he loves us, and we love him in return.
Let us Pray:
Dear God,
Thank you for giving us such an amazing world to experience and to live in. Help us to remember during times of hardship, stress, and worry, that your love surpasses and suppresses it all. Help us to know that we are human, and our experiences are human, and that when the time comes to meet you in your Kingdom, all of the weight or burden we may carry now will be lifted, our hearts will be full, and our minds will fill with peace and ease. Walk with us during this journey we call our lives, and help us to know and see your love in the many moments we get to create in your wonderful world.
Amen.