Wedding Wonders

May 27, 2010 By
Rod and Marilyn Seiler, May 8, 1955, La Mesa, California
All About Love
I’ve been creating a diagram and individual cards to direct guests to their seats at my daughter Elaine’s wedding to her beloved, Rob. Oddly enough, this bit of preparation, more than any other, has led me to reflect on love.
But not the happy couple’s love for one another, which I’ve written about here.
Rather, writing the name of each invited family member and friend on a little card and mulling whose company they might most enjoy has me thinking about the web of love that surrounds this young couple.
I’m thinking about my dad, for example, who’s pictured above. He invited his granddaughter to select a piece of her deceased grandmother’s (my mother, also pictured above) jewelry to wear on that special day. He, Elaine, and Rob spent a pleasant afternoon looking through Mom’s treasures and choosing the “right” one.
Elaine’s best friend’s mother, Janice, prepared and hosted a lovely bridal shower for my daughter. I’m sure she devoted a chunk of time in those preparations. Last weekend, thanks to her efforts, a whole tribe of women surrounded my daughter with love and goodwill.
My husband, Rich, has graciously endured the disruptions and expenses that ride along when one is planning a wedding. His grace comes from his love for me–and for her.
Rob’s mother, Judi, has opened her great big heart to Elaine, to me, to Rich…she’s embraced the whole family in a way that mocks every stereotype you know about “mothers in law.”
Yes, weddings are all about love. One of our Father’s greatest gifts to us–the capacity to love and be loved–is truly the star of this wedding show.
1 If I could speak all the languages of earth and of angels, but didn’t love others, I would only be a noisy gong or a clanging cymbal. 2 If I had the gift of prophecy, and if I understood all of God’s secret plans and possessed all knowledge, and if I had such faith that I could move mountains, but didn’t love others, I would be nothing. 3 If I gave everything I have to the poor and even sacrificed my body, I could boast about it; but if I didn’t love others, I would have gained nothing.

4 Love is patient and kind. Love is not jealous or boastful or proud 5 or rude. It does not demand its own way. It is not irritable, and it keeps no record of being wronged. 6 It does not rejoice about injustice but rejoices whenever the truth wins out. 7 Love never gives up, never loses faith, is always hopeful, and endures through every circumstance.

8 Prophecy and speaking in unknown languages and special knowledge will become useless. But love will last forever! 9 Now our knowledge is partial and incomplete, and even the gift of prophecy reveals only part of the whole picture! 10 But when full understanding comes, these partial things will become useless.

11 When I was a child, I spoke and thought and reasoned as a child. But when I grew up, I put away childish things. 12 Now we see things imperfectly as in a cloudy mirror, but then we will see everything with perfect clarity. All that I know now is partial and incomplete, but then I will know everything completely, just as God now knows me completely.

13 Three things will last forever—faith, hope, and love—and the greatest of these is love.                1 Corinthians 13:1-13 (NLT)

Filed Under: 1 Corinthians, family, friends, God's omnipotence, grace, grandchildren, joy, love, wedding