Some Promises Are Not Hard to Keep

   In an earlier post, I talked about my dear friend Ann Wheeler Burton who died eight and a half years ago. During Ann's last few months on earth she and I spent a lot of time talking about her children and her concerns and prayers for each one of them. Her daughter was a freshman in college when Ann died and was just beginning to stretch her wings and find her footing in her marvelous areas of giftedness. Ann was confident that her daughter would become a strong, confident, capable woman with a good head on her shoulders and she was right. But as we gathered to pray together she often prayed specifically for her daughter and the man that she believed that God would one day bring to her. Ann also made me promise that I would remain in relationship with her daughter and would be there to encourage her, walk beside her, and pray for her when her daughter fell in love and began to plan her wedding. This was one promise that was not hard to keep.
     I have spent the past few days thinking about Ann a lot and grieving again her loss. I know all the right things to say. I know that she is in a better place and that the glories of heaven make the treasures of this earth seem pale in comparison, however yesterday and again this morning, I am remembering Ann...for it is today that her daughter will be a bride. At half after seven tonight, Ann and Jim's only daughter will walk down the aisle on the arm of her father to pledge her heart and her life to an equally precious and fine young man. It will be a sacred time as these two enter a covenant and vow to love one another before God and a crowd of assembled witnesses. Needless to say, I am confident that they will be joined by a host of unseen witnesses as well.
   As a matter of fact, I have it on good authority that Jesus absolutely loves weddings...for was it not at a wedding that He performed His first miracle? And is He himself not our bridegroom and we his holy bride, bought and paid for with a terrible price? So the Lord is most definitely in the wedding business. He will be there tonight. And He will be performing yet another miracle, the miracle of two becoming one.
    It will be a poignant time, a joyful time, and a time for celebrating. And when the pastor asks the bride's father the time-honored question, "Who giveth this woman in marriage to this man?" The bride's father will answer in a strong, confident voice, "Her mother and I do." Last night at the rehearsal when I heard that Jim would be saying this today when he gives the bride away, I was overcome with emotion. I cried. But today, today I will rejoice along with many others. I am confident the bride's mother is rejoicing, too. It will be a glorious and blessed day on both sides of heaven, of that you can be sure.