complete him challenge - post #2

THE DAY WE TOOK THE VOW

Like many other good old-fashioned pastoral couples, we got married the same week we graduated from college. Talk about pressure...

We'd dated 11 months, been engaged for 3, and knew unequivocally that God had brought us together for the purpose of marriage and ministry. He had made it unavoidably clear, after we had each been on a no-dating vow for the past 2.5 years.

So when we set our wedding date, we decided to take advantage of both families coming into town for our graduation ceremonies, and get married too - on a Tuesday night, in a prayer garden on our college campus.


The whole weekend it poured rain. Not nice little sprinkles. Buckets. Cats and dogs. Tropical-style. We had planned our wedding on a $1500 budget (including the dress and refreshments), and we spent a lot of time praying that the rain would go away in time for our outdoor ceremony. There was no budget for a Plan B!


Monday, the day of the rehearsal, dawned crisp and clear. Tuesday, the rain held again. The weekend's monsoon (in southern Tennessee) had made the entire garden a rainbow of brilliant, vibrant shades of green. More than 180 guests joined us, my sister sang a beautiful song, I cried straight through my vows and was thankful when the officiant magically produced a copy for me to read from his Bible. We were pronounced "husband and wife and you may now kiss the bride."

Other friends took 14 rolls of photographs, hoping we'd have enough to get a few good ones. (Nothing like the 3500 digital frames I shot in one day as a wedding photographer a few weeks ago!)


We left for a relaxing beach honeymoon in Florida, and it rained for the next 10 days, until we returned to pack up our furniture and move several states north to attend Seminary.


It was simple, elegant, inexpensive, and pretty much nothing like most of the weddings I've been to before or since. We owned one car, given to us for free, and the combined contents of his dorm room and mine, with a couple pieces of furniture that someone else had been throwing away and gave to us instead.

Life was less complicated, although we didn't realize it. Sweet, trusting in God to provide the next thing, and most of all - absolutely certain that we belonged together. And that part hasn't changed!

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