Weddings and Perfect Love

I don't recall ever attending a wedding during my childhood that I wasn't a part of. I remember several in which I was a flower girl or even a junior bridesmaid, but I can't remember sitting and watching what was taking place. Sarah Grace, on the other hand, has now attended three weddings, and is utterly enchanted with the whole show. From the moment the music starts until the moment I drag her away from the reception, she is in her blissful little princess element.

We attended a wedding this past Saturday night. Since Joshua was the pianist, we arrived a couple hours before the procession started so he could practice with the violinist. Thomas and Sarah Grace had time to examine every square inch of the sanctuary. They went up and down every row of seats, zig-zagged around, and were generally very quiet and well behaved. Just before seating time, we found the restrooms.

We bumped into the flower girl and her mother in the restroom (not literally). Sarah Grace couldn't get over the little girls full white dress and Shirley Temple curls with the flowers tiara resting on the crown of her head.

Once back in the sanctuary, we seated ourselves as close to the front as I was brave enough. Two rows behind the grooms mother, I believe. During the 40 minutes worth of prelude music (what was I thinking? The kids could have roamed about in the halls for another half an hour!), the kids entertained themselves with I-Spy until it got too rowdy. I doled out the iPhones (mine and Joshua's!) and had them play with them until it was Time.

As soon as the men came in from the side door, Sarah Grace sat in rapt attention. She jumped up and looked around when the bride came down the aisle, and barely blinked through out the nearly hour long ceremony. Her eyes were on the bride. The Whole Time.

Thomas was pretty enchanted himself. He did great during the processional. He was interested right up until the time he got bored. Which was about seven and a half minutes into the actual wordiness part of the ceremony. The he got fidgety. I was able to pull him close to me and he relaxed. This lasted another twelve minutes or so. I leaned down and whispered words of 'encouragement' into his little ear, and bought another four minutes. About the time I was ready to pinch him a little, in the name of encouragement you understand, the pastor made this remark.

"But you can't do it. You can never love the way God loves."

Thomas sat straight up and groaned a little. My hand quickly went to his shoulder, and he slumped back against me. I relaxed just as he said, " What? Why not?"

It wasn't all that loud, but it was loud enough to send the folks around us into smothered giggles and stifled chuckles. One young lady even commented on 'how adorable' he was.

Thomas, though, was very concerned. Thomas' concern manifests as 20 questions. He looked up at me, his brows knit together, and his mouth open in an 'O', words ready to tumble out. I put my finger up to my lips and shook my head a little, then leaned down and promised him I would answer any questions he had after the bride and groom walked down the aisle together.

He slouched against me and endured the rest of the ceremony.

Sarah Grace missed the entire exchange. She was too enthralled with the exchange of rings.

Today, Thomas finally remembered his questions. We had a long discussion about Christ's perfect love and how, even when we truly love someone, the love that we have will be stained with selfishness and sin, it could never be as perfect and pure as the love that Christ has for us.

A few hours later, I nearly choked as I listened to Thomas soberly inform Sarah Grace and her 'groom' (Elizabeth) that even if they loved each other very much, Christ's love was better then their love.

Oh, how I hope my children will all grasp that life saving fact. Christ's perfect, forgiving, never-failing love.