A Wedding, Part 2

And now it's all over. The friends and family have come and gone. Matthias and Kim are married and off on their honeymoon. The convent sits strangely quiet ... my son and I are the only ones home. The house is full of reminders .... sheets and towels that need washing, a shampoo bottle with a German label in the shower, rust colored roses in vases, a wedding program on the dining room table, a large pile of pots and pans in the hallway, bottles and bottles of water stacked in the kitchen, and a refrigerator full of wedding soup. The memories speak loudly of love and community and Jesus.

Our community of friends and family from many places: Cincinnati, Kentucky, Germany, London, Texas, Arizona, Georgia, Tennessee, Michigan, Pennsylvania ... all worked together to create a lovely celebration. People cooked, cleaned, raked, spread dirt, planted, shopped, delivered, carried, loaned cars, drove, planned, massaged, sang, spoke encouraging words, and most importantly, prayed. Dave and I experienced so many of the people in our life coming together in one place to share this experience with us ... friends from the past, family from around the country, new family from another country, neighbors, current friends whom we work with daily ... all of the people we love and care for. Together we shared a remarkable day on Sunday, a day of worship and joy and celebration. We watched a radiant bride, our child, walk down the aisle to her adoring new husband. We listened to Kevin's words of encouragement and kindness, and many of us were deeply touched by the spirit filled blessing of the two fathers. We were blessed with music and poetry and laughter during the reception. After the event, I came home and stood in the shower and sobbed ... a good cry, feeling deeply the overwhelming love of Christ shown through our community. We are so loved!

Today I drove our German friends to the airport in a 15 passenger van loaned to us by our friends in Kentucky. I let them out at the departure area and climbed down to say good-bye. I was in tears after the first hug ... saying goodbye to Daniela. I then gave hugs and kisses to Lissy and Daniel and Soren and Michael and Thomas L and Thomas W and Steffi and Chrissy and Claudia and Josias and Helmut and Ernst. Gisela was last .... Matthias' mother. We now share our children. Gisela has become my friend, even though we don't speak the same language. We seem to be able to communicate many feelings with our facial expressions and gestures. I got into the van to drive away and looked up at all of them standing on the sidewalk. I expected they would have turned away by then to go into the airport. But they were all waiting .... looking at me in the van so they could wave good-bye. And as I pulled away from the curb they all waved in unison. I was undone.

So now we rest a bit, then put things away and get the house ready for whatever's next. We don't know yet what that is. We're content to wait and see what God shows us. In the meantime, as we rest and pray, we are thankful. So very thankful. And we are so filled and overflowing with the love of the community of Jesus.

His peace to you.