There’s always a moment. It’s almost as if the trees huddle together and whisper for all their surroundings to come to a sacred hush. I never sense this moment at the expected time; it’s not always when the bride walks down the aisle, in the middle of vows or during the first dance. Today, it was a moment when the wind blew ever so slightly, almost as if God himself just blew a kiss from heaven. As it swept across my face, all was right, the moment was sheer bliss, absolute perfection. In that moment, as happy as I was for the bride and groom, it was as if I could hear my maker playfully call my name from the sidelines. “Come away.” I can almost hear it now as I reflect back on those sweet moments. Gently nudging me, He ever so sweetly reminded me of how I got to this place. How was it that I was standing at a gorgeous ceremony, surrounded by people I love and watching a dear friend start an entirely new chapter in her life? Nothing short of pure and unadulterated grace. It didn’t have to be a church setting, it didn’t have to be with hymns or traditions made by man, but rather it came so simply in the form of breathtaking creation. The moment when the sun hit just the right way, when the wind did a playful dance around us, catching the eye of a friend and feeling at peace in what is normally a nervous setting. In the simplest and most authentic ways, He caught my gaze. My eyes were no longer able to be fixed on an earthly idea, but rather a spiritual revelation. Weddings in all their glory and splendor are a mirror of something given with the greatest sacrifice. They’re a glimpse forward to glory and yet, a reflection of Eden. Although there are moments where it reminds us how far we’ve fallen, it ultimately speaks of our destiny. I find that I am most at peace in these moments. The weighty pause when I see Him reach out his hand and wait for my acceptance of his offer to a life of joy, promise and a bond that will forever remain unbroken.
Today reminded me of the One who quietly whispers when I am afraid, laughs when the wind chases my hair and finds me each night as I silently sit searching for answers to the unknown. Watching two lives join together for all eternity only reassured me that hope in it’s purest form is presented in a promise by a man with holes in his hands who says that I am forever the one who will hold his wild and captivating gaze.
I am not merely a name on a list or just “another Christian”, but a display of the splendor of Christ. A creation crafted by him to be loved and in return love him wholeheartedly. My chances of being seen aren’t a million to one, but rather I am His One in six billion. His gaze is continuously fixated on me and I am never removed from it. I want to walk toward Him, nothing else in sight, confident that He is the ultimate prize. He is forever mine and where He is, is where I want to be. It might not seem conventional to talk about Jesus in such a way, but He is the least conventional man I’ve ever known. Forever I am honored each second I catch Him glancing my way just as He did today at the wedding of two dear friends. In the midst of the craziness that comes along with any wedding, He was there, in all of His glory, power and beauty. His alluring fragrance in every breeze and His promise lingering with every vow made. I am enchanted by the God who made me, loved me and walks with me throughout life’s most tragic moments as well as the incredibly joyous moments of days like today.
ASHLIN BOYLES 