Two years and three-hundred and sixty-four days later it was my turn. So with my dear anniversary on Tuesday and then the reminiscing over Rachel’s today, you’ll forgive me if I seem rather preoccupied with weddings…
Oh, they say when you marry in June,
You’re a bride all your life.
And the bridegroom who marries in June
Gets a sweetheart for a wife.
Winter weddings can be gay,
Like a Christmas holiday,
But the June bride hears a song
Of a spring that lasts all summer long.
By the light of the silvery moon
Hone you ride, side by side,
With the echo of Mendelssohn’s tune
In yor hearts as you ride
Oh they say when you marry in June
You will always be a bride…
from Seven Brides for Seven Brothers
lyrics by Johnny Mercer
My father officiated at Rachel’s wedding, and when I told him tonight how long it had been he was dumbfounded. “Well,” he said slowly, “you can tell her that we’re celebrating with her, but that we refuse to acknowledge that it’s been ten years.” Oh, how quickly these days and months and years of our lives fleet! Any chance I get, I exhort the single girls I know with the very words Rachel entreated me with when she returned from her honeymoon: eyes full of joy, her face shining with a light I’d never seen there before, she clasped my hands and said, “Lanier, drink every last drop of your maidenhood.” Don’t waste it, or wish it away, or settle just to be done with it. Don’t count its trials as a curse, or treat its relative freedoms too lightly. Above all, cultivate your relationship with Christ–’attend to Him without distraction’–for it will not only be your stay in waiting days but your husband’s crown ‘when the desire comes’.
I promise you, you’ll blink and it will be ten years from now.
Oh my goodness! This is exactly what the Lord has been teaching ME. I almost (not quite) hope that my Prince will defer his coming for me a bit longer so that I can prepare better. He has used this site to be a tremendous encouragement…
But TEN years!!!! What a celebration of Gods grace in a christian marriage. The time passed as quickly as a day but had the trials and grief of a lifetime in them. The exquisite beauty of thier wedding pales in light of the commitment and daily love that prevails in the working out of that one statement ” Till death do us part.” To those of you who are still single you can never be too prepared for marriage, too in love with your First Love or too ready to pour your life out for someone else. Every preparation now (even the ones you don’t recognize as preparations) blesses your future husband more than you could imagine. Thanks Lanier for the reminder of thier anniversary. And happy aniversery to you and Philip. RKW
I love that song! We have that movie and I sing it all the time! I want to get married in June! I’m humming it right now!
~Ashley~
Thanks for the sweet reminder, Lanier…it’s one I needed to hear!
What a refreshing post… especially coming from someone who will never forget the seemingly endless period of waiting and the various trials of singleness. Like the verse goes… from the comfort/hope He gives us, we can comfort/encourage others.
Thanks for sharing such lovely memories with us about your friends’ wedding.
-Whitney
Lovely post.
Lanier,
I followed the links and read yours and your sister’s wedding stories. They both made me cry. Waitin’ for my Dearie is such a good song to remind me of my ideals. I grew up watching Brigadoon, and it got put into my heart, somehow. Thank you for your beautiful writing of all of the above. God bless.
To God be all glory,
Lisa
Lanier~ I for one had never read your story, so I did that very thing last night! I like to read about how God has brought two people together, and it is always neat to see each story have it’s own little “twist” to it all. I started laughing when I saw the words “waitin for my dearie”, for my dear friend Rachel posted on that very song not too long ago:D. Anyway, thank you for such an excellent post… I’m looking forward to reading more soon!
Lanier,
I had not read your courtship/marriage story before, but I was so tremendously blessed as I read it last night! You definitely have been given a gift from God of lovely writing
So true–”Above all, cultivate your relationship with Christ”–I often remind myself that Christ (in a spiritual sense) is my Husband, and I am part of His Bride, His Church–even if He never has a man for me to marry, HE will be enough!!!
For the glory of God,
JoAnna