My favorite thing about weddings ...

I know that I said my next post would be about our wedding day ... and I promise that it's coming! But I have felt led to share something else.

I went to a wedding yesterday and it was an interesting experience. Weddings for us as spectators can mean a number of things. When I was younger, I always fantasized about being the bride and being able to dress up pretty just like her. Some people like getting ideas for their own weddings or even critique it. Now that I am married, I think my favorite part of a wedding is just watching the groom.
I remember how nervous my husband was ... how beautiful he thought I was and how there were tears in his eyes when he saw me for the first time. How everyone else might have been thinking "I sure hope they make it" or "I don't see what he sees in her" and he saw something totally different. Or how apprehensive he was about how the rest of his life would be even though he was determined to dive right into whatever was to come. It's just you and me against the world, girl.
The grooms are always so sweet to watch. I cannot judge how they are for the remainder of their marriage, because first, I'm not a man and they don't answer to me anyway. However, I just love watching them when they see their bride for the first time. Every woman was born a sinner full of ugly flaws, but this man is choosing to love her in spite of them. To him, she's the most beautiful woman in the world. Everyone else might disagree, but no one can convince him otherwise.
When my husband decided to marry me and vowed to be with me through everything until death, he was taking on a lot. I was just a little girl with a lot of growing up to do and I was also lost. There came a time early in our marriage when he had to say ... I don't know what I've gotten myself into, but I love her and I am going to stay with her. He chose to marry me and he chose to love me each day even when it got hard. He still does.
He had to choose to love me the way Jesus does. His flesh might have tempted him with reasons to leave because things with us got really hard. (I'm sure that will not be the only time either.) He chose to love me anyway and to keep praying for me. I am sure there were times where I hurt him and made him angry. I know there was a time when he had to realize the ugliness of my sinful nature and admit to himself that I was not saved. However, to him, I was just as beautiful as I was on our wedding day. He made the choice again and again to love me just the same as he did the day we got married.
He had to pray. He had to stand up to me sometimes when I'd get argumentative and rebellious. He would have to put up with my disrespectful mouth. (Boy, did I have one!) But he loved me anyway and he kept fighting for me through prayer and begging God to help the situation.
If Joshua had never done that, I don't know if I would have accepted Christ. Through his love, I was able to see Christ's love.

The groom I saw yesterday reminded me of my sweet fella. All cute and sappy ... ready to take on the world with the one he loves despite whatever anyone else might think. It reminded me of all that Joshua has done for me and the way that God has used him in my life. It reminds me of where we began and how far we've come in just the short amount of time. I appreciate Joshua so much and the way that he has chosen to love me.

I am also so thankful for the way Jesus loves me and how He died for me while I was still a sinner. My husband married me as an imperfect woman and Jesus died knowing I would offend him 100x10billion times. It was on our wedding day that my husband made his decision and Christ made His by dying on the cross.

Real love is good.