Monday After The Wedding

My eldest son's wedding was this past week--the culmination of months of planning, preparation, decision making, organization, and anticipation.  

There were moments during this past week when I thought that there was no way that all of the things that needed to get done would get done.  The list was too long, the tasks too many.  I was daunted by it all.  

And there were things we'd forgotten to do (favors for the guests? frames for photos? mirrors? sparklers?) that needed doing, and it didn't seem like it would ever come together.  

But then the two families who were being united through the wedding came together and began to work as a team. Friends arrived and began picking up tasks, running errands, stuffing favor bags with candy, making food, cleaning up the frequent messes.  

A church member dropped by a cake, and then another arrived with guacamole and chips, responding to a plea my wife made via text to her friends at church.  There were so many more moments like that--it was hard to count. 

At one point we had nearly twenty people sleeping in our house--many of them on air mattresses and bedding that were loaned to us by members and friends of our church, who came to our rescue.  

And in the end, it all got done---and it was amazing. 

As I sit here now, I am overwhelmed by everything that transpired.  But most of all, I am filled with gratitude and joy.  I don't know what Merideth and I did to deserve such wonderful friends...  or such an incredible celebration... or such a wonderful church family.  

And I also don't know what we did to deserve such an incredible daughter-in-law, who loves our good boy with all her heart and who makes him so incredibly happy.  

The truth is--it is all grace from God, there is no way we could ever deserve it.  

After such a hard year, marked by loss and too much sadness, this is truly a new beginning and a vivid reminder of that incredible grace, and of the love of God who gives it freely to those of us who are woefully undeserving.  

And now may the grace and peace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you now and always.  Amen.