She stepped a foot down the aisle, vintage lace and strands of champagne pearls, her boys holding her hands on either side, and she was in every way what they call a vision.
Of beauty, joy, warmth. Behind and around her light streamed in full.
I could feel the catch in my throat, the burning in my eyes. Michael reached his arm around our three girls and cupped his hand around my shoulder, and we recalled that day and held back tears from running hard.
This friend of ours. Her radiance. Her smile. Her present. This future.
And you could see all over the groom’s face that he had not yet beheld her this day.
“Wow,” you could see his lips form the word. “Wow.”
Eyes holding her tenderly, these two did not stand so much side by side, as his shape formed to meet hers.
We saw the loveliness in the flowers, the bridesmaids, the cake, but there was something altogether transcendent about this story.
This beauty from ashes. This holy gift of one who pressed into every good thing that could be gained through loss.
My friend — the one who chose, as the groom’s sister said, to reject bitterness. To trust what God had for her even then.
And now.
The pastor spoke of Christ clothing us — with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience — and I remembered again that even when we do not know what this future holds, we can know what it is to be called cherished. Beloved.
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Today, I’m meeting again with the community of Five Minute Friday at Lisa-Jo Baker’s Tales from a Gypsy Mama for some free writing. We follow the prompt, refrain from extreme editing, write for five minutes and encourage each other’s free-flowing offerings. Write with us? This post began with the prompt CHERISHED.
Connecting through the power of stories written, spoken and lived
Beautiful picture. I’m fighting the tears from running, too, because I can see the whole thing through your words and because of the beauty He gives when we choose it over our bitterness. A true love story!
Tresta, isn’t that godly transformation toward beauty, birthed of that human choice to choose love over bitterness, one of the most amazing things in all the world to behold?
Dear Ashley
Can you think of something more beautiful than the love between a bride and her groom … and by implication … our Heavenly Bridegroom and His bride! Oh, what a sweet day that is going to be!
Hugs to you XX
Mia
I could not stop thinking about that myself as I wrote, dear Mia. Thank you for your reflections.
I LOVE that you wrote about this, Ash! What a day it was. True beauty everywhere. :)
Thank you, Mags. And you will forever be connected to this story and that day. I love you, beauty.
Ashley, you are a gifted story teller. It is as if I am standing in the church witnessing this beautiful love with you. Oh what a love story and what a picture of how He loves us.
A picture of how he loves us…yes indeed, friend!
Beautiful… breathtaking, really!
Thank you for your words, Karrilee. Bless you.
you nailed it ash. the whole picture of the wedding & their marriage was so symbolic to me. it was so full of thankfulness. everything about it felt like a gift. your tender writing about this is such a precious gift to rebecca & rick. way to go sweet friend.
Thankfulness, gift…how that sums up that day for me, too. Thanks for cheering me on, my buddy. I worried that the story was too big to tell in 5 minutes (and it is), but I’m grateful the essence of that day came through. God is so amazing.
I read this and almost felt like I was there. Thank you Ash. I’ve seen pictures and thought “wow” myself. You captured the heart of the event well – the tender love of Christ as the bride and the beauty and faith of Rebs to wait patiently and trust wholeheartedly. Loved it.
Thank you, my friend. Your words to me are a gift. I’m sorry you couldn’t be there, but am so excited to see you in a month!!
Stunning. I am wholly there with you in each word of this beautiful retelling. You tell stories that invite us right into the church and the heart of union.
Wow, thank you, dear one.
Friend, you are, as another commented above, a truly gifted storyteller. I was there, like everyone else, watching breathless as this love unfolded. Wow is right. This is full of wows, on so many levels of beauty.
It WAS a breathless kind of experience watching this picture of love fulfilled. Amazing these earthly glimpses we receive of perfect love — ones that brush so intimately close to holy.
As always, so eloquent! I feel like I was there. I love you, precious. You surely have a gift from God.
Thank you, dear Auntie. Wish you were here with me. I miss you.
Ashley…this piece was to me like a portrait! Your tender words framed it, and their love, this gift they’ve been given, filled in the spaces. I think i must have been there. This is truly light-filled and so lovingly captures what a blessed union is…and how such a union in turn blesses all who stand witness. Truly beautifully seen and captured Ashley!
“Such a union in turn blesses all who stand witness” — isn’t that the truth? We were certainly blessed and still are. Holding it with me.
As your other commenters stated, your words paint a beautiful picture of this blessed union, making me also feel as if I were there! So very happy I am for this dear friend of yours who shares my name. :)
Yes, two precious Rebecca’s in my life. Thank you, friend. So happy for her, too.
Thank you Ashley for painting such a vivid picture of this special day. You described it in such a way that I could imagine all the beautiful details as if I were sitting in that church next to you. Congrats to Rebecca & Rick!
We missed you, friend, but I’m glad you were able to see a glimpse of the beauty on their day. Can’t wait to give you a huge Karissa “D” squeeze next month!
Lovely picture.
Thank you. :)
Ashley, my words won’t be enough . . .
Rick and I had a moratorium in place on facebook, texting, etc during our honeymoon. We were keeping an eye out for urgent emails, however. I am so glad that Maggie emailed the link to your blog. Rick found it and read it first in our little paradise of a private Hawaiian bungalow. He called me to him and laid me in his arms and read your words out loud to me. We both cried. Thank you, thank you, thank you for this beautiful picture of our day that no photo will even begin to capture. Your essay is a treasure for us. It is amazing that the word ‘cherish’ made you think of our love, our wedding. It is true that I understand the meaning of the word now because I see it in Rick’s eyes and gestures towards me. As I have fallen in love with him, I have thought many times about how great my Father loves me as I see a glimpse of His immense love for me, for each of us, through this man who is now my husband. I believe that marriage truly is His gift to us to illustrate how He loves, cherishes each of us He created. I am just beginning to grasp it. I am so thankful He gave me this amazing man to cherish and to learn how to love. Thank you so much, friend, for the example you and Mike have set before me. I love you so much!
Rebecca