Promise

In a few days from this post, a wedding will take place within our family. A lifetime of dreams and months even years of planning funnel through time into a handful of minutes. Then the wedding is over and the marriage begins.

The groom is our nephew. When Jennifer and I married, he was our ring bearer. Now, our daughter will participate in his wedding. It’s one of those circle-of-life moments where the past touches the here-and-now as it reaches toward the future.

Jennifer and I should preemptively apologize to the bride and her family in case Hannah does something embarrassing during the ceremony. It is impossible to know how a six-year-old will behave in a short span of time when she is all dressed up then told to be still for what to her seems like forever. It’s a good thing Hannah loves the bride as much as she does as maybe that will help make forgiveness a bit easier if it is needed.

Despite the potential of the wedding ceremony becoming upstaged by a six-year-old, what really matters are the promises being spoken between the bride and the groom. When one pushes past the pomp, when one fans away all the formality what is taking place all comes down to a promise between two people. It is that simple yet at the same time so serious. This promise is more binding than a playground promise. It is more lasting than a pinky-swear. It is a promise hopefully spoken sincerely, soberly and in the presence of almighty God.

Those who will witness all this are partaking in this promise as well, serving as a rooting section of sorts for the two making these promises. While those gathered wish the couple the best they also know enough about living to know how life will not always be as wonderful as this particular day. They understand how some days ahead will be joyous and happy but how other days will be hard to get through or sometimes to get past. These witnesses know there will be things ahead which can shake a couple to their very core. They also know that in the hard, dark times is when the promises spoken on this specific summer day can be remembered then held to tightly in order to weather any storm because the promises spoken were meant to last forever and not just last beyond the time it takes to say the words.

Soon enough, the wedding will be over and the marriage will be up and running. Before long, the ranks of “old married couples” will have new members. Membership fees are paid through the everyday push-and-pull and drag-and-drop of living life together. It’s the never-ending mortgage but it’s the backyard big enough for the kids. It’s the stressing over a job issue but it’s the calm refuge felt stepping into the living room at the end of the workday. It's the occasional candlelight dinner but it's also the sharing of the last doughnut in the box over the kitchen sink. It’s the always leaky roof but it’s the neighbors who are better than gold. It’s that moment of not knowing what to do next but it’s the understanding the promises made mean no longer having to go forward into the unknown alone.

It is the best life. Promise.