Love is in the Air…

Over the last year we have attended several weddings, one of which was our son’s! I absolutely love weddings. I love the first glance of a groom seeing his bride. I love the sweet moments of a father and daughter walking down the aisle, while the mother looks on in sheer joy. I love seeing mothers and fathers watch their son proudly enter into manhood pledging himself to his forever love. I love the joy in the air, catching up with old friends, the ceremony, the reception…all of it! I LOVE weddings. But more, I love what it represents…a commitment to God and each other, a covenant not meant to be broken.

Knowing a beautiful wedding doesn’t equal a beautiful marriage, my heart is wrecked when marriages end. This past week, we attended an amazing wedding of some of our dearest friends, but we also heard news of a long-time marriage ending. While we didn’t personally know the couple whose marriage ended, the wife was an author who I greatly respect and admire. I was devastated for her. I tried to put myself in her shoes and I was saddened at the thought of what she may be facing. I couldn’t make sense of it all.

I know God never wastes anything He allows in our lives. He uses the joys, the pains, the highs, the lows, the seasons of plenty and those of lack. Through each season and situation, there is something He is desperately trying to show us to shape us. In my reading, I came across this statement in the commentary of my Life Application Study Bible, “God uses his power to accomplish his purposes through his people. God doesn’t give you power to be all you want to be, but He gives you power to be all He wants you to be.”  See we all want to be happy and not have any problems, but that isn’t a reality nor does it require any level of faith or trust. The reality is things are uncertain, people are fallible and we are all sinners. This world is broken as are the people in it. Apart from God, there isn’t a chance of anything good to come out of our efforts. But with Him, there isn’t anything we can’t navigate through in order to become who He wants us to be.

I celebrate the union of two more dear friends as they embark on this amazing journey of marriage. I also mourn with those, whose beautiful wedding days are now a tearful memory of what was or what could have been…for that, I am deeply sorry. In both situations, God remains constant and ever present. Carrying each to the place He needs them to be. The stories may seem drastically different but are connected through one common denominator, God and His love. He loves so that we can love. We can love when it’s easy and when it seems undeserved and forced.

I love the picture above of the altar at the wedding we attended. It says, “We will go out in joy and be led forth in peace.” Isaiah 55:12 I think this verse is a great representation of, not only marriage, but our own walk with Christ. The JOY of the Lord is our strength, not our circumstances, and he will lead us…giving us peace in all that He allows.

Have a great day!