So I’m getting married tomorrow…

We’re get­ting mar­ried tomor­row. It hasn’t sunk in, and yet it’s the most nat­ural pos­si­ble thing in the world to do when I get up in the morning.

The excite­ment of fam­ily and friends all com­ing together in one place thrills me. I have already seen this week the way God works so unex­pect­edly through the most unlikely con­nec­tions. Who knew my brother and brother-in-law would have the same cell phone!

I know this adven­ture will change us irre­versibly. Yet we also know God calls us to this very trans­for­ma­tion. As I look back, I see God’s amaz­ing gifts of beauty and good­ness in the midst of hard­ship, of encour­age­ment and affir­ma­tion in the midst of despair. Jour­ney­ing together will not be easy. Yet walk­ing side by side we will build each other up through chal­lenges and oppor­tu­ni­ties, con­flicts and tears.

I have no illu­sions of hap­pily ever after. Tomor­row only marks the begin­ning of a life­time of giv­ing effort, serv­ing love, and for­giv­ing grace. I antic­i­pate the per­son I will become along this path and wait for God’s mirac­u­lous hand of pro­vi­sion, care and sur­prise to lead us on our way and guide us home.