Imaging a wedding that I am a part of is very familiar. For decades I have wondered, puzzled, and imagined what the day would be like. As I write this whisper I have the overwhelming awareness of the venue, setting, and the experience of being in the presence of two people in love formally starting their journey.
Even as I look at the pictures on my phone, it is easy to talk about the beauty of it all. The bride was radiant. The groom was beyond handsome. The bridesmaids were gorgeous. The flower girls, bible boy, and ring bearer were far beyond cute. The monastery in its Spanish Romanesque and Mission Style architecture set on the hills above the Napa Valley was stunning. Everything visually came together in a way that reinforced peace, tranquility, and love.
Yet there was something tangibly more than the words just used. When I close my eyes I find myself remembering what I felt like to be with and around the couple. Hope was there. Nervous confidence was an ingredient. Yet the bond of trust, happiness, and excitement that found its way to the surface in expressions of love was the overwhelming feeling that the couple left me with.
I watched and within myself the only word I could think of at the time was “wow”! I know more words will come, but for now the setting, individuals, and actions are overwhelming in all kinds of good ways. I am so happy. I am so proud. I am so relieved that I did not mess up my part (at least I do not think I did).
As the kids dance and the music plays into the night, I find myself thinking of a psalm; “Sing, O kings of the earth! Sing praises to the Lord!” (Psalm 68.32) Tonight everyone is singing in one way or another. Everyone is dancing, inside their hearts and some with their feet. It is a time for laughter and love, congratulations and hope, excitement and possibilities. It is a day that tells the story of tomorrow.
