Friday, February 3, 2012

One Love. One Life, Together.

The day that Matt and I got married was by far one of the best days of my life. Obviously, much of this was wrapped in the fact that we were starting an adventure, three years in the making, and pledging our commitment to each other before God, family and friends. Engaged girls are always told not to get caught up in the wedding day. After all, it's about the marriage, not the day. While I fully understand the sentiment behind that, I say it's hogwash. When Em gets married, I want her to get absolutely swept up in the joy of the day.

I'm not a planner. I fly by the seat of my pants and tend to leave projects unfinished as I get bored with details, but when it came to my wedding day, I had every detail meticulously thought out. This day was a climax to two separate stories that both of us had been living that were now combining into one. Two different worlds colliding in a way that would forever bind us together. I wanted every person in attendance to know Matt and I as fully as possible. I also wanted each person to know that they were there because they had played a special part in our lives. The ceremony was deeply personal from the song I walked down the aisle to, to our fathers praying over us with our moms and wedding party. At the reception, we showed where we came from with pictures of our parents and grandparents framing the table that had the seating assignments, which were in the form of titles corresponding with stories from Matt and my dating relationship. Our favor was a CD that we put together with meaningful songs and a note explaining how much we appreciated each person that had made the point of not only sharing this day with us, but sharing life with us as well.

What I loved so much about our wedding day was having everyone we loved in one place. For one day, all the people that were important to us in so many different ways were unified because of their love for us. I mean, as egotistical as this may sound, isn't that the case? As the dancing winded down and Matt was ready to whisk me away for a whole other sort of unification, I had trouble leaving. So many friends and family in one place just made my heart swell and I didn't want to say goodbye. I loved seeing everyone enjoying each other. I was overwhelmed by the fullness of God that we were able to experience that day.

It's almost as if it was a glimpse of the oneness that we will get to experience...someday. All of that preparation, hard work, and creativity was stitched together in love.

I've been getting scattered glimpses like this in the last couple months as times spent with family and friends has been unifying and encouraging in ways that fill me up and make the difficult and in-between times more manageable. Sometimes it's small, simple things like huge hugs and sloppy kisses from my kids that make the toys cluttering the floor not an obstacle, but a reminder that this space is filled. With love. With hard work. With people that matter. Really, isn't that what's important? We get to live full lives with others, in the fullness of God, learning to embody the part that He has for us, wrapped in Him. I'm once again blown away by the extravagant love of God that not only invites us into His love but allows us to experience it with others. There are many times when I get caught up in life, being a catty woman, and just not seeing people as Jesus sees them. I'm reminded often of the extravagant ways that God works in us, pouring out his grace and strength in ways that we could never imagine on our own. In these moments, I need to stop, drink it all in, and rest in the glimpses that He gives me to see of life as it should be. The ache of knowing we're not there yet but someday...

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