Walking Down the Aisle...

The way he looked at her brought tears to my eyes. 

When Jimmy married one of my best friends, Christy, it was a beautiful moment.

The love between them was so obvious. Their mutual respect for each other, their devotion to God, their Christ-centered relationship, and their passion for life was inspiring. Here was a couple that God brought together.

Who do you watch?

Most people watch the bride coming down the aisle at the wedding. But I like to watch the groom. Every groom has a priceless reaction when he first sees his bride walking down the aisle. Adoration, devotion, excitement, and wonder flash in his eyes.

And sometimes, tears are found there too. To me, those tears reveal that the groom knows how blessed he is to become the husband of this wonderful woman in white walking towards him. And the tears in her eyes says she finds it hard to believe that she found this amazing man that wants to spend the rest of his life with her. She wants to spend the rest of her life showing him how much she loves and respects him.

Big decision

Next to choosing to follow Christ, choosing your life partner is the biggest decision you will make. In our disposable society, I think we often make light of the marriage covenant. As Christians, we are looking for the one person we want to spend the rest of our life with. The bond of marriage is lifelong, and very serious.

The marriage vows are a promise to never give up on "us". The difficulties will come, the differences in opinion will surface, and arguments will happen. But the choice to love is one that we have to make. No one will be lovable 100% of the time. With marriage, you are saying that you will love them even when they say something ugly, when they let you down, and when their health fails.

I've been able to witness first hand my parents continued marriage of 30 years! I know this is not the norm, and I am so grateful God has brought them through all the storms. And, I've seen a lot of the joys they've shared together! They've lived in another country, took us kids on vacations, and had date nights throughout the years.

Marriages that last

But you know what the real difference was? God. Their marriage is centered on God and His will in their lives. They raised me to know who He is, and to make my faith my own. I pray that I will find a love like theirs someday; Christ-honoring, respectful, fun, and faithful.