Out of the hundred or so guests, I only knew a handful of
folks. The bride is a great niece, literally and descriptively. So, of course I knew my nephew and his
wife and their youngest daughter. Our son and daughter-in-law and our daughter and
her husband came; so did my brother and his wife. And I recognized a few faces
from many, many years ago.
Melancholy and joy, happiness and regrets, wonder and
gratitude – memories of other weddings and prayers for the future of marriages
represented colored all the impressions I took in. This day became an unexpected Ebenezer. (1 Samuel 7:12)
My niece, (a more
a possessive description than our relationship ever was), and her husband exchanged
vows and celebrated their marriage at a comfortable old country club in
northern Baltimore County. And
because Maryland’s spring is about three or four weeks behind Texas’ we beheld
dogwoods, daffodils, and azaleas – nature’s delightful rewind of the most
hopeful of seasons.
A shower had threatened earlier, but the sun dried up its
remnants, and a rainbow emerged at the time friends were toasting the bride and
groom – prompting guests to scurry outside and record the event on the
innumerable smart phones and cameras. One younger guest asked his dad if they
could go and hunt the gold. My nephew confided he had to get a second mortgage
just for that display.
Candles may have been on the table, but the glow of our
hand-held devices was truly what illuminated us! The wedding photographer waited good-naturedly for us to
look up so she take pictures of us. Never have I seen so many photographers –
or have have I been so torn to put my camera down and look at the faces before
me.
Serendipitously, a few days later, a You Tube video rebuked
me:
Put
your hands on your head – stand away from the phone
I am glad I did put my phone down – occasionally -- and
enjoyed so many moments. But I am also glad for the pictures I took. Most I
deleted – but the ones I kept remind me the Lord has been good to me. For the brief moment this wedding was,
I saw the top part of my life’s canvas,
and, from what I often feel is a jumble of threads, I saw an outworking – a
purpose -- that has been bigger than my will.
God! I hope I
remember that!
 |
| Genesis 9:13 |
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