Marriage

Marriage is a beautiful thing.
One of my best friends got married this past Saturday, and while she and the ceremony were beautiful, she did something that not many brides do.
And no, it wasn't faint.

She asked the pastor to incorporate the Gospel into the wedding sermon.

Why?
Because though she is young, she understands something that we seem to have forgotten as a culture.

Marriage is a picture of God's relationship with the church.

The groom enters first because he pictures God, who initiates the relationship. The bride wears white to symbolize purity.
Now some would argue that not everyone in the church is pure, and that's true. But God makes us pure through His blood. The celebration afterwards represents the huge party that will happen when the church is reunited with the groom.

The fact that she knows this and wanted to share it really underscores what an awesome bride she is.

Another thing that I thought about during the wedding was the fact that young, unmarried women (like me) feel this need to get married. And while that's a natural desire, it's a wee bit misplaced.
What man could love us better than God, literally the original, ultimate groom?
Not to say a man couldn't be an awesome picture of God, but we (myself included) would do well to grow closer to One who we can't be separated from, even in death.