Weddings and Marriage

My family attended a wedding this past weekend. It was an outdoor wedding at a horse farm. The simplicity  was spectacular. There were mason jars with candles in them scattered along fences. There were lights strung up in the trees. There was a small cabin on the property that was built in 1804. The ceremony itself was conducted in front of an oak tree that was at least 100 years old. I truly felt like I was in God’s very own cathedral.

The bride and her father laughed and chatted as they walked down the aisle to bluegrass music. The bride and the groom wrote their own vows. The bride said in hers, that she remembered when she was a little girl, she asked her mom who her best friend was and her mom replied, “your dad.” She remembered being surprised that her mom could have a boy as her best friend. She said that as she stood there with her husband-to-be, that she understood what her mom had meant. Now at this point, there wasn’t a dry eye in the crowd.

What is it about a wedding that moves us to tears? Is it the promise of something brand new and beautiful? Is it the leap of faith that a couple takes when they commit to love each other until their last breath? Jesus performed his first miracle at a wedding in Cana. I think it’s relevant to note that it was a celebration. While life is full of troubles; it also has many events worth celebrating and a wedding is one of those events. Jesus loves to celebrate our victories with us as well as holding our hands in tragedy. While most of us wholeheartedly invite him into the tragic events of our lives; how do we do with inviting him into the good times in our lives?

We love to celebrate weddings. We buy new clothes. We purchase a gift for the happy couple. We arrive to the wedding early enough to get a good seat and we open our hearts to the message and the hope. How do we celebrate the actual marriage? When the guests are gone and married life begins, how do we celebrate? Well, some people like the bride’s parents, become best friends and grow in their faith and love for one another, so much so, that it’s imprinted upon their offspring. Others don’t do so well and fight often and insist on their own way. How do we achieve a beautiful, inspirational marriage instead of an unfulfilling, tumultuous one?

Let’s go back to the wedding at Cana for a minute. First of all, Jesus was invited. He couldn’t have performed the miracle if he hadn’t been invited. We often invite him to our weddings, but not into our marriages. How can he perform miracles if he’s not there? Secondly, when we do invite him, we have to do what he tells us to do. John 2:5 says, “But, his mother told the servants, “Do whatever he tells you.” The servants did and the rest is beautiful, Biblical history.

So what can we learn from this? Good, strong marriages are a form of worship. They are a testimony to God. Christian marriages are a lifelong ministry between husband and wife first and then it spills on to children. They are to be nurtured and treasured and if we want them to be inspirational and beautiful, we have to not only invite Jesus; we have to obey him and that I think, is worth the lifelong pursuit. What do you think?

Have an awesome day!

Wendy 🙂