8.25.2012

The Wedding Pastor

It's that special wedded bliss time of year.  I'm presiding at quite a few wedding these days and through the autumn.  I had one last weekend and one today.  A member of my landlord's family is getting married today!  They have become like family to me, and I am excited to be present for what will certainly be a joyful day.

When I was a senior in college and lots of friends were getting engaged, never would I have guessed that in a few short years, I'd be presiding at weddings!  It wasn't even an idea on my radar screen.

Life is funny like that, always surprising - rarely what we anticipate.  I graduated from Wartburg in 2005, 7 years ago.  At the time, I thought I'd be getting engaged soon to someone I had dated for a long time.  Now that feels like a lifetime ago.  Or maybe two lifetimes ago.  A lot can happen in 7 years.  This weekend that fellow is having his own wedding, and I'm really happy for him - and for the love that he has found and built.    

Today I woke up and thought about the mysterious roads life takes us down.  I'm still not exactly sure how I've become a pastor.  I don't know how I went from thinking about what wedding dress I might like to wear someday to officiating marriage services.

But truth be told, I feel like it's where I'm supposed to be.  I could have never really planned this life route on my own, so I'm really glad God helped.  I'm thankful for the opportunity to journey with couples through premarital work and service planning, which is immensely rewarding for me.  I'm thankful for the awkward rehearsal dinners with strangers that actually turn out to be fun.  I'm thankful for the role of "identified before-meal prayer person" at wedding receptions.  I'm thankful for the way all these weddings have helped me meet folks I would have never met otherwise. I'm thankful that I get to help couples weave the story of God's love into their own love story.  

I'm not sure I'll ever be a bride.  I suppose life can be just as surprising in that realm.  But regardless, I'm thankful to have other roles to play during this chapter in my life.  A chapter that seems to be moving at a pace to which I can never quite keep up.  

Specifically today, God, I give you thanks for entrusting me with one particular role.  The wedding pastor.      




1 comment:

  1. You're blooming where you're planted. Beautiful, honest post today.

    ReplyDelete