\ufeffTuesday – Wedding Day<\/p>\n
In the morning, before any of the rest of the day’s activities, we dashed to church.\u00a0 The father and mother of the bride, and the bride herself, made a 30 minute drive one-way to\u00a0spend ten minutes there, but the trip was more than worth it.\u00a0 A famous, historic icon, the Kursk\u00a0Root icon,\u00a0was at the church that morning and we wanted to see it, briefly, and pray.\u00a0 When we stepped into the sanctuary,\u00a0our hearts sank at the long line of people waiting to see the icon.\u00a0 We had to\u00a0be heading back home\u00a0in less than 10 minutes.\u00a0\u00a0The bride’s mother\u00a0went to the front and whispered to the person next in line, “Our daughter is getting married today but our schedule is very tight.\u00a0 May she go next?”\u00a0 With a smile, he gladly agreed.\u00a0\u00a0The two of\u00a0us were satisfied venerating it from afar.\u00a0 It was enough.\u00a0 The experience centered and reminded us we were in the care of the Author of marriage Himself.\u00a0 We were grateful to have our focus moved to something bigger than a wedding, something bigger than even marriage.\u00a0 The venerable icon was a sign, a reminder, a promise, a part of His immediate and real presence in our lives. <\/p>\n
The\u00a0bride and groom\u00a0departed as soon as we returned from church so Katie could stop at a salon, wearing her wedding dress, to get her\u00a0hair and make-up done.\u00a0 My phone stopped receiving calls at\u00a0some point not long after they left.\u00a0 I didn’t know that my daughter was repeatedly trying to call to confirm\u00a0where they were, exactly,\u00a0on their way to\u00a0a beautician in an unfamiliar town\u00a0on the way to the wedding venue, 30 minutes beyond that.\u00a0 She got a little upset not knowing where she was at, exactly, and if she’d be late to the appointment and if that would affect the quality of makeup and hairdo she was hoping for.\u00a0 It was one of those moments when I felt the urge to check the phone, look for a message, make sure things were o.k.\u00a0 There really is a still, small voice.\u00a0 Glad I listened to it then.\u00a0 We found a map on line and guided them to the beautician still with time to spare.<\/p>\n
Saint-Saens Symphony number 3 ‘The Organ’ Fourth Movement<\/a> (The soundtrack for the next paragraph.\u00a0 Click the play button.)<\/p>\n I’ll never forget\u00a0driving the van\u00a0to the Inn, me at the wheel, Nita all the way back, and David’s parents and grandmother between.\u00a0 It was\u00a03 p.m.\u00a0or so on a workday so the beltway was starting to get even faster and busier than usual.\u00a0 We were dressed in our wedding finery: smart tuxes and elegant gowns all around.\u00a0 The groom’s parents thought that they had not been ready at the time I arrived to pick them up.\u00a0 Actually, everything was moving along fine, time-wise, still they apologized.\u00a0 After that, no one talked much; we were each caught up in our own thoughts.\u00a0 The traffic continued fast and heavy, drivers, including me, weaving in and out of traffic.\u00a0 Then I caught a snippet of the music softly playing on the radio: it was the St. Saens Organ symphony.\u00a0 The fourth movement was beginning with that poignant melody, shared by organ and orchestra.\u00a0 I couldn’t resist: I turned up the radio.\u00a0 Not so loud as to be rude, but loud enough for the music to enfold me in its arms and carry me as I drove.\u00a0 The traffic here is fast and furious and today was no exception.\u00a0 It’s usually safest to try to keep up with it, which I did.\u00a0 The music soared: the familiar and much-loved strains brought tears to my eyes.\u00a0 I’m glad I was wearing my sunglasses.\u00a0 My passengers apologized again for their lateness.\u00a0 Did they think I was driving so fast, so furiously because we were running late?\u00a0 My wife told them that the timing was just fine, which it was.\u00a0 The magnificent, emotional music pushed on and so did I, moving from lane to lane, tears streaming down my face.\u00a0 Triumphant music, frantic Beltway driving, apologizing in-laws, we were all bundles of emotion and expectation, all focused, all hurtling toward the small, quiet ceremony where their son and our daughter would become husband and wife.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" \ufeffTuesday – Wedding Day In the morning, before any of the rest of the day’s activities, we dashed to church.\u00a0 The father and mother of the bride, and the bride herself, made a 30 minute drive one-way to\u00a0spend ten minutes … Continue reading