Miracles and celebrations
I remember talking with her back when we were in high school as she thought about who would walk her down the isle- whenever that day came. Which of course seemed so far away at the time.
But it came. Those church doors opened and every eye turned to see her radiant face and delicate lace white dress as her dad's brother walked her down the isle.
The vows were taken, rings exchanges, and kisses given. And then there was a grand celebration.
As she slowly spun around on the dance floor under the twinkling lights with several father-figures in her life in lieu of the traditional father- daughter dance, I could only think about how faithful God is. About how He can take anything and make good. About how beautiful it is to see friends that come to follow Jesus and then to see how their journey unfolds over the years. About friends who saw me come to follow Jesus.
I stood off to the side with my husband surrounded by long time friends from high school and thought about each of their stories.
In that moment, I realized that weddings are so much more than just simply celebrating that individual moment in which two people profess their love and commitment to one another. It is also about the witnesses, the people, celebrating what God does and is doing in that moment, in the moments that have passed, and in moments to come- in the lives of those being married and those being witnesses.
Marriage is two individuals who come together with pasts that make up who they are- with joys and sorrow of their own. The friends and family who come to witness what God is joining together also come with their own joys and sorrows and stories.
And for this one night we recognize that, we recognize the triumphs, we recognize the healing and- we celebrate. We celebrate love. We celebrate forgiveness. We celebrate laughter and grace and mercy and truth. We celebrate as people who know each other's pasts in a rich way and truly marvel at the handiwork of God.
I think about the Art of Celebration. About the fact that God invented celebrations and weddings and parties and festivals and holidays. I think about the Jesus whose first miracle was turning water into wine at a wedding.
He still does these miracles everyday in our lives. He turns murky water of our hearts and souls and circumstances into wine.
That first recorded miracle was a foreshadowing of the miracle of Jesus spilling his blood for our sins on the cross.
It's no wonder that when I type "celebration" into google that wikipedia lists "a celebration of the Eucharist." A celebration of thanksgiving. Why- that is the best of parties. We have a reason to be grateful and to sing and to dance and to drink and to be merry. He has come and set us free!
Sure- not every day will feel merry or bright or even celebratory, but God ordained festivals and celebrations in the Old Testament so we would remember- no matter what we were facing- that we truly do have reason to celebrate. That's why we come together to break bread and drink wine and celebrate.
We are people with stories and faces that reflect our Maker and King. We see and experience together how he makes beauty from the ashes.
Weddings, which are indeed quite miraculous, simply point us to the one Great Miracle while also reminding us to give thanks for the daily miracles.
But it came. Those church doors opened and every eye turned to see her radiant face and delicate lace white dress as her dad's brother walked her down the isle.
The vows were taken, rings exchanges, and kisses given. And then there was a grand celebration.
As she slowly spun around on the dance floor under the twinkling lights with several father-figures in her life in lieu of the traditional father- daughter dance, I could only think about how faithful God is. About how He can take anything and make good. About how beautiful it is to see friends that come to follow Jesus and then to see how their journey unfolds over the years. About friends who saw me come to follow Jesus.
I stood off to the side with my husband surrounded by long time friends from high school and thought about each of their stories.
In that moment, I realized that weddings are so much more than just simply celebrating that individual moment in which two people profess their love and commitment to one another. It is also about the witnesses, the people, celebrating what God does and is doing in that moment, in the moments that have passed, and in moments to come- in the lives of those being married and those being witnesses.
Marriage is two individuals who come together with pasts that make up who they are- with joys and sorrow of their own. The friends and family who come to witness what God is joining together also come with their own joys and sorrows and stories.
And for this one night we recognize that, we recognize the triumphs, we recognize the healing and- we celebrate. We celebrate love. We celebrate forgiveness. We celebrate laughter and grace and mercy and truth. We celebrate as people who know each other's pasts in a rich way and truly marvel at the handiwork of God.
I think about the Art of Celebration. About the fact that God invented celebrations and weddings and parties and festivals and holidays. I think about the Jesus whose first miracle was turning water into wine at a wedding.
He still does these miracles everyday in our lives. He turns murky water of our hearts and souls and circumstances into wine.
That first recorded miracle was a foreshadowing of the miracle of Jesus spilling his blood for our sins on the cross.
It's no wonder that when I type "celebration" into google that wikipedia lists "a celebration of the Eucharist." A celebration of thanksgiving. Why- that is the best of parties. We have a reason to be grateful and to sing and to dance and to drink and to be merry. He has come and set us free!
Sure- not every day will feel merry or bright or even celebratory, but God ordained festivals and celebrations in the Old Testament so we would remember- no matter what we were facing- that we truly do have reason to celebrate. That's why we come together to break bread and drink wine and celebrate.
We are people with stories and faces that reflect our Maker and King. We see and experience together how he makes beauty from the ashes.
Weddings, which are indeed quite miraculous, simply point us to the one Great Miracle while also reminding us to give thanks for the daily miracles.
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