During the final week before a wedding, responsibilities in- crease, especially for the bride and groom. But they aren’t the only ones. Extended family begins cleaning house and changing sheets to ready for company, and airport runs become frequent. Refrigerators are stocked, and wedding clothes are pressed. Excitement mounts, and at the end of it, God unites a man and woman in the amazing partnership of marriage.
Our family is 6 days away from Klaus and Brooke’s ceremony, close enough to be checking our iPhones every hour to see if the rain has been eliminated from Saturday’s forecast yet, since they plan an outdoor wedding. There’s much to do, and our out-of-towners begin arriving today.
“Happy chaos” will be the theme of the week, as it is for every family planning a wedding, but the joining of two individuals and also their families is the delightful reason beneath the hubbub.
All of my children will be on hand to celebrate, as well as son-in-law Adam and half of my grandchildren. Hans will be coming from England without his family, since his 4th child, little Andrew Kenneth, is only 2 weeks old. But I’m thankful he said “yes” to being his brother’s Best Man and that Katy said “yes” too!
One other family member who will be missing this week is Nate. I know his absence will feel big, but I also know the Lord will provide many reasons for rejoicing throughout Klaus and Brooke’s special day, even if some of it might be done through a tear or two.
Knowing God will be present and active throughout that day will be my greatest joy. After all, marriage is his invention, and when a couple ties the knot, his Spirit is keenly involved in that process. I know the Lord already has some special wedding gifts of a spiritual nature prepared for that day, certainly for the bride and groom, but for the rest of us, too.
Since the week promises to be extra busy, I’m going to do something I haven’t done since starting this blog 4 years ago: I’m going to take the week off.
You readers are always on my mind and in my prayers (and will continue to be this week), and it’s pure pleasure to write these blog posts. But I know my place is with my family this week, particularly since we are rarely together across the many miles between us.
So, thank you for your understanding, and I’ll get back to you in a week with a summary of all that happened, both spiritually and otherwise. As you go into your own busy week, know that I’ll be missing you.
”I know that everything God does will endure forever; nothing can be added to it and nothing taken from it.” (Ecclesiastes 3:14)