Going to the Chapel...

My son is getting married today! We have gone through the prenuptial process including an engagement party, bridal showers, a family Christmas shower, a lingerie shower, bachelor and bachelorette parties, a bridesmaid luncheon, the rehearsal and rehearsal dinner, and everything in-between to prepare for the grand finale, the actual wedding ceremony. We're all about celebration, as you can tell by the list of events, until the ceremony. That part when you stand before God, family, and friends to pledge your commitment, your devotion, your vow to honor this person before everyone and everything forever! The only covenant greater is the one made with Jesus, accepting His salvation offer, and declaring His Lordship over your life! Naturally, walking through these steps with Bethany and Joseph causes me to reflect on my wedding day thirty-three years ago. April 30, 1977, is forever locked in my treasure chest of life! It didn't take long my freshman year at Harding University to decide Jeff was the guy for me even though I played hard to get for awhile! After a very eventful courtship, which is a book by itself, he proposed the fall of my junior year and our wedding took place the Saturday before dead week in the spring. It was important to us to have our friends be part of the wedding and I knew after finals everyone just wants to go home, at least I always did. I committed to save my skips all semester so I could go on my honeymoon during dead week, then come back to take my finals. What a brilliant plan! On Christmas break my mom and I worked together making as many decisions as possible before I went back to school. Since she had been through this process with my two sisters, I wasn't worried. More important to me was my excitement and desire to marry Jeff, not stress over every detail planning our big day! I took a Bride's Magazine with one page dog eared and purchased that gown on our first shopping trip. I registered china, crystal, pewter, sheets, towels, cookware, and everything else necessary to start a new home. We ordered invitations, thank you notes, flowers, and cakes and chose music so the group singing could have time to rehearse. Back at school I had a busy semester cheering through basketball season and going to class all the time since I was saving skips! When the big weekend arrived, my sister, Judy, hosted a bridesmaid luncheon at her home which was a forty-five minute drive away. During lunch I received a phone call informing me the tuxes I ordered had not been delivered to the right place and had not been tracked down! Not to worry, a different style was substituted and Mr. Holmes was on his way to Dallas to personally pick them up. Jeff and the groomsmen were to meet at my house with the alteration lady in case a quick change needed to be done. Remember I lived in a small community, population 3065, so it wasn't like there were several places carrying tuxedos! I handled that ok, we were still going to have something appropriate for the guys to wear. But on the drive home it began to rain and that did bother me! Not only did I think people wouldn't want to dress up on a Saturday and get out in the rain, but the reception was at my parents' house and we were counting on guests being both in and out of the house! Our house was a big ranch style Texas home, but not big enough to hold everyone at the same time! The rain ended in time to refresh the outdoors and provide a rainbow overhead as we drove to the church building. It was a wonderful wedding and if there were other mishaps, I still haven't heard about them! There was one incident I anticipated but not my mom. As Jeff and I ran out the front door and through the shower of rice toward our decorated car, there was a mob of Chandler brothers and male cousins that swooped up the groom and proceeded to throw him in our car and drive off without me! My mom didn't catch on to the family prank and proceeded to voice her disapproval. I knew they would bring him back eventually but mom didn't share the humor in the ritual! I thought it was funny then and still chuckle when I replay the video in my mind. I believe our ability to laugh together, at each other, and at life in general has helped us enjoy liffe as a couple. You just have to be able to laugh, don't you agree? Now four months away from our thirty-fourth wedding anniversary, I can honestly report that just like my freshman year of colllege when I knew Jeff was the guy for me, i still feel the same! We've experienced better/worse, richer/poorer, sickness/health and we are stronger for it as long as we both shall live.