The Bride Cometh ...

When we first came to Austin, a guy on the side of the road was asking for donations for ARM ... "Austin Restoration Ministries." I don't remember if we gave him any money, but he gave us a little slip of paper with their name, mission statement, and phone number. Essentially, it doesn't matter who you are, what your issue, or if you pay... if you want off of the streets, drugs, alcohol, etc, they take you in no questions asked, no money charged, you just have to commit to their program for nine months. Every time Ryan and I went to throw the slip of paper away we just couldn't... throughout the almost one year we've lived here God has continued to give us opportunities to be connected to their ministry and today we got to go to the wedding of a man who runs one of the houses.

This was probably THE most celebratory wedding I have EVER been to. Ever.

They had the service on a Sunday morning so when we walked in the pastor was wrapping up his sermon and it was GREAT to hear him just shouting and quoting scripture... It just felt GOOD. People were sitting around white rectangular tables, purple flowers in the middle of each, the wedding 'arch' up front covered in purple and white flowers with netting... Then he finished and said, "All right, let's get some folk married." He stepped down off of the podium, the music started and the groom walked out... everyone started CHEERING!!! Ryan and I just started happy laughing :O) Then the wedding music started and when the door opened and the first bridesmaid started walking down the aisle a woman hollered, "Ya'll get up. Everybody up." and EVERYONE stood to their feet and started clapping and cheering for them... it was a 10 minute standing ovation welcoming the bride! When the last bridesmaid walked down they closed the door and the room got completely silent (everyone still standing). The song started and it was SO LOUD and with SUCH expectancy ... it just kept swelling and when they opened the door I swear a RUSH poured through the room, the bride stepped out and a woman shouted "Hallelujah!" and everyone was praying out loud, "Praise God," and "Thank You Jesus" EVERYONE was clapping and shouting and welcoming her... I just started crying... I couldn't even help it. Talk about, "Here comes the bride!" We shouted and clapped, people stepped into the aisle taking pictures of her and she was walking SO SLOW and just soaking it in. It was honestly one of the most BEAUTIFUL things I have ever witnessed or been a part of... this room full of people, all colors, delivered from all kinds of things, some still in just the beginning of trying to walk out... I was sooooo moved.

Oh, there are SO MANY things I could share, but that is what impacted me most about the wedding. I have NEVER seen something like that and could only think, "THIS is what it should be like. I can't imagine how cherished and celebrated she feels."

Okay, so, now I'm getting choked up realizing that this just a GLIMPSE of the welcome WE will get when we go to heaven. The bride of Jesus Christ Himself. I can't even begin to fathom the celebration and my heart aches at the thought.