Weddings

Today my friend got married. We went to her wedding, all four of us.

The bride was so excited! She was giddy. It was wonderful to see, someone so in love that the gravity of the ceremony couldn't hold her joy.

Their vows and "I do"s filled the sanctuary said with such confidence and promise. This covenant they were entering with their Lord solidified before a church filled with family and friends.

Ephesians 5 was read.
Ephesians 5 was commented upon.
Ephesians 5 was in the foundation of their vows:

Promises to lead, to follow, to care, to respect, to submit.

Promises to live the mystery of Christ and the Church.

And now as I write, I wonder if maybe, just maybe, my friend's giddiness, the uncontrollable joy found in the love of this man to whom she was committing her life, isn't what Christ wants from His church.

Joy irrepressible by the solemnity of the circumstances.
Joy sending excitement to those witnessing the love story.
Joy that is contagious.

And I find that I must pray. Not that my joy will ever look like her's. We are very different each created in the image of God for the glory of God. No, my joy will not look like my friend's joy, but my joy should not be hidden, masked by the seriousness of the circumstances. My joy instead should lift the circumstances. My joy is found not in the solemnity of occasions, but in the love of a Savior.

May my joy be made complete.