The Wedding I Cried At

  Because I have blogged about crying before, I feel like I may have indicated that I cry on a semi-regular basis. In some ways I suppose that is true because I cry every time I watch Return of the King, and I watch it more than I would care to admit. As a general rule though, I am not a crier. When I encounter an emotionally stressful situation, I tend to get the urge to bury my fist in the nearest wall (not an action I condone).

  Then I cried at my cousin's wedding. At this point of my life, I have been to far more than my fair share of weddings. Usually, I did not have a deep personal connection with the couple, so I did not care less that two people were tying themselves together for better or worse, for richer or poorer; in sickness and in health, and long as they lived. All I was worried about was spending time with the people I knew at the reception and eating cake. Nothing about weddings has ever made me feel like crying.

  But yesterday, at the wedding, I stood in the chapel with everyone else and turned to look back at the bride. And there was my cousin Rachel, one of the most incredible people I have ever known, and she was getting married. Then came the tears. But it was not just the fact that Rachel and Jimmy were getting married. It was the way they got married. The way they acknowledged that marriage is a commitment. That it is a reflection of Christ's relationship with His bride, the church. It was the fact that they were purposing to glorify God in their relationship before anything else.

  Nothing about their wedding made being in love seem silly and sappy. It was a reminder that the gift of love they have been given is sacred and precious. And should I ever suffer the great misfortune of falling in love, I hope that my love is like theirs. A love that is great because Christ is its center.