Weddings

Lately I've been at a wedding (or two) pretty much every year. It's the second wave of weddings: the first is when your friends and siblings get married and the second is when their children get married. (Then there is the second wave of babies and baby showers and those have started as well!)

This year I have two weddings already planned and two younglings in serious relationships that may or may not result in weddings by the end of the year. And one "maybe" relationship (he's interested for sure; she's at least interested in getting to know him better; nothing has happened yet). Plus the other relationships that are more peripheral to my world (people I know, but not "my" children whom I've taught and watched over for years).

I, of course, think they're all too young to get married. At the same time, I've very happy for the children when they meet someone they want to spend the rest of their life with. And I enjoy the weddings.

What I particularly like is that my children have weddings that not only celebrate the happy couple but also point to God and the gospel and the biblical view of marriage. I've been to weddings without God and while they are beautiful weddings, there is always that bit missing that makes it something more, that makes the marriage something more. I know it doesn't guarantee a perfect marriage (is there any such thing?) but I think the reminder that it's not just about them helps them start off on the right foot.

And now I need to look at more blanket patterns so I'm ready to make gifts for all these weddings!