Before It All Begins

I’ll be frosting four dozen chocolate cupcakes for a friend’s wedding today.

So when I came across this photographer’s website my heart was stirred. The photographer describes why she likes to show up early to weddings and capture pictures “before it all begins”. You have to see these beautiful pictures.

Paul tells the believers in Corinth, “I promised you to one husband, to Christ, so that I might present you as a pure virgin to him.” (2 Corinthians 11:2 NIV)

All of these long days filled with cleaning toilets, paying bills, packing lunches, running errands, caring about people, struggling to earn a living, trying to do what God wants, staying in shape…

All these long days are the wedding prep.

And the hours before a wedding are nuts. Before my wedding I was trying to fix my hair and makeup just perfectly. People were scurrying to do food prep and get flowers handed out. Somebody dropped the lace tablecloths in the muddy gutter, so they had to be washed and ironed. Nerves were running high.

All of this work and bustling about for that one moment when I would tuck my hand under my dad’s arm, the back doors of the church would be pulled open, and there that handsome man would stand in all his lanky glory –waiting for me.

I would breathe one word in that moment, Finally.

Finally it was all worth it. Finally the day. Finally the moment when I would be his and he would kiss me most willing. Finally together.

But right now, girls? Right now it’s the beforehand. We need to get ready.

Paul says, “For he chose us in him before the creation of the world to be holy and blameless in his sight. In love he predestined us…” (Ephesians 1:4 NIV)

Right now it’s getting out of the every-day clothes and into the pure white ones. It’s a lot of work, and some days we wonder if it’s worth it.

But there will be a finally, and it will mean all the more for the effort we made to get there.

And we’ll wear white.

Glory!