The Wedding

My best friend got married last week to the man of her dreams in the most beautiful wedding I’ve ever seen. I’m so thankful to have gotten the opportunity to stand beside her on such a wonderful, God-centered day.

Thinking back on that day, I can see all the tiny things coming together to make something amazingly huge, and I’m constantly reminded of our own journey toward the day Jesus comes back for The Bride (the church).

When James beautifully asked Kaitlyn to marry him, they started their journey. Their families and friends gathered around them to congratulate them, love them, and help them get ready for the big day – the wedding.

In that moment, the wedding seemed really far away, but, always together, the bride and groom joined together with like-minded people and started getting ready. It started out with just a few people – some family, some friends, and a wedding planner. As the bride and groom shared their love story, though, it expanded – more family, more friends, the wedding party, the caterers, the cake.

There were moments when the bride got distracted – when other things of life got in the way of the preparations like school, work, and friends. Sometimes the bride was just too tired to think about the wedding to come. But she was held up and gently pushed along by people who had been a bride before her, who knew what was going on, and who could encourage her on her journey.

There were moments when things just seemed to go wrong. The bride burned her face right before their engagement pictures. The straps fell off the dresses. Someone’s pants didn’t fit. Her brother got sick. But the bride pushed through, held up by her love, knowing that none of that really mattered as long as, in the end, she was there for the wedding day.

Slowly, and not without struggle, the work got done. As the bride and groom excitedly moved toward their big day, they shared their love story with everyone around them, and as more people heard, they got involved in the preparations.

Finally, the day came.

The bridegroom was coming for his bride.

There was soft music playing in the candle-lit room. There was a hush as a great cloud of witnesses waited for the right moment.

And then the doors opened.

The bride, in her pure white dress, began her long, slow walk down the aisle to the groom. With tears in her eyes and a smile on her lips, she looked only at him.

The groom took a half step forward like he was about to leap off the stage and run to her, but with tears in his eyes and a smile on his face, he simply waited, and he looked only at her.

When she made it to the end, he took her hand in his, and they made promises of love everlasting.

In the end, the bride and groom were finally married, and there was a great feast. At the feast, everyone saw old and new friends, family, and loved ones. There was food and dancing and laughter and joy. There were tears and hugs and kisses and songs.

I can’t help remembering that and seeing a day that I know is coming that will be much like it.

I know that as a Christian, I’m moving with the rest of the church to the day when Jesus, the bridegroom, comes back. Along the way, we’re making the preparations and sharing our love story with everyone around us. We’re gathering together more and more people to join in our love story and prepare for our wedding day.

I can’t wait for the day when the doors open and The Church comes pouring through in her pure white dress, with tears in her eyes and a smile on her face and eyes only looking at The Savior who has tears in His eyes and a smile on His face and is only looking at her.

And then we’ll feast and be united with family and friends. We’ll dance and laugh and sing, and all together, we’ll praise the King who brought us all together in the first place.