KEY SCRIPTURE Genesis 2:23-24

And Adam said, This is now bone of my bones, and flesh of my flesh: she shall be called Woman, because she was taken out of Man. Therefore shall a man leave his father and his mother, and shall cleave unto his wife: and they shall be one flesh.

RELEVANCE

Last Wednesday, Heather and I had the privilege of attending the marriage of our only child—our beautiful son, Niv Jnr, to his exquisite bride, Emma.

Not many events are more exhilarating than a Christian wedding. Accuse me of being biased, but this was the most glorious wedding I have attended.

Leading up to the wedding, the bride and groom to-be considered aspects that honoured God, which made both sets of parents so pleased. 

They looked magnificent, but the real blessing was the apparent honour in which they held each other.

The song for the processional was He Will Hold Me Fast. (Maybe Emma chose that one), Then, there was the old Irish hymn of oneness with the Lord, Be Thou My Vision, and that timeless classic, Great Is Thy Faithfulness. 

For the recessional, they chose the 1964 Nat King Cole toe-tapper we've all heard in romance movies—L-O-V-E.

The music was played by a sextet of electric piano, cello, and four violins and made such a heavenly sound in the 150-year-old church. 

Once the vows and certificate signing were over, the newlyweds exited the church straight into clouds of soluble multi-coloured confetti. Everybody was taking photos and videos while the hired photographer shuffled the immediate families to get shots with the Bride and Groom.     

We walked two doors away for a sumptuous afternoon tea and a meet & greet with other guests. Then, NIv and Emma were escorted to the beautiful black Maserati Quattroporte (I'd like to have that for a weekend), with the bridal party following in the Mercedes People Move and whisked off to the reception. 

Earlier in the week, while preparing my Father-of-the-Groom speech, I constantly thought about God attending the wedding of His only Son. How heavenly that will be for all in attendance. Would He make a speech? I think so. Being male and female together, I think He'll say something about the Groom and the Bride—something nice, profitable, and celebratory.  

In my speech, I included the few words of marriage wisdom I have left. 

"Niv and Emma, 

Marriage is a journey—a spiritual journey— of love, laughter, and sometimes even tears. But through it all, remember to seek God first IN EVERYTHING, communicate openly, support each other's dreams, and, importantly, never stop cherishing the love you share.

Marriage is also a trade-off. As you settle into marriage, you will find yourselves trading your independence for inter-dependence—that is, integrating the wishes of each other. In doing this, you are not robbing yourselves of your own identity, but it IS a voluntary sacrifice to cultivate the oneness of your new partnership.   

Money. In your ups and downs of life, you may suffer financial loss. It's best if you don't. But if you do, remember—financial losses are things that pertain to this life—not the next—and they can either be replaced or forgotten about. If you can remember that and move forward without misery, you will gain a storehouse of peace. 

Niv, encourage Emma to be all she can be in Jesus Christ. You are not just marrying this beautiful woman for who she is now but who she will become as she prospers and blossoms through the various chapters of womanhood. It's a part of your role as her husband to help get her there. 

Finally, to both of you: King Solomon said, 'There is no new thing under the sun.' I know you both like to figure things out yourselves, but apart from technologies and very few other things, life experiences are identical in every generation. 

So, feel free to confide in people from previous generations, and particularly both sets of parents.  

And I say that because older people have likely been through your new experiences more than once and will have the immeasurable value of hindsight."

Praise God for this new chapter in his and our lives. 

Because my son is now married, does it mean the parents' job is over? I don't think it is ever over.  

PRAYER

Dear Lord, what a wonderful experience it was to attend my own son's wedding. In a way, it was weird watching him pledge his life to his wife. Not long ago, I was teaching him to ride a bike, and here he is, a man in the full sense. Praise you for your protection and guidance throughout their life and ours. What a wonderful God we serve. 

Photo by Hisu lee