On Starting Something New

Saturday was my wedding.  It was the beginning of something entirely new for me.  After 50 years of single life, I now begin to experience living as one half of a married couple. It is an interesting thing to now need to consider another person's needs before even making simple decisions like whether to take an extra appointment after 5pm or not.  But at the same time,  it is wonderful to have another person in your life that is stopping to take your needs into consideration before making those decisions too.

The wedding service itself was incredible. I'm not talking about the Liturgy, I laboured over every word and measure of music to make certain that it was a magnificent offering of worship.  I'm talking about the gathering of the community.  What a blessing it is to be so surrounded by friends and family.  The wedding service was about so much more than just the love between Becky and myself.  It was a celebration of the love of God.  It was an act of worship that brought God's people together to minister love to Becky and I as we made this new step in our life together.

As one of the opening prayers stated,  it is prayer, those of Becky and I, and those of the community, that make a marriage.

Over the coming weeks, I have literally hundreds of thank you cards that need to be sent out.  Those cards can't begin to sum up how thankful i am for the love of this community that God has called me to serve; the love of former communities and congregations that was expressed through cards and calls, the love of friends who made long trips to be here, and the love of family. Sometimes it takes huge changes in order to come to understand just how blessed you are.  I know that I will be remembering this for years to come though.