Hope wins

Today, I was blessed to officiate the wedding of a very special young woman. Here are some of the words I shared today...

Hope wins. That is this day in a nutshell.

I cannot tell you how excited and honored I am to be a part of this special day.

I remember seven years ago when we would sit and talk and you told me this day would never come. Well, here we are.

I never had a daughter, but if I did, I would be proud to have one like you. Through the ups and downs, good times and bad, you have survived and now you are thriving. You are a champion and today you receive one of the greatest rewards from all your efforts.

This is not the end of the journey, but it is certainly the start of a new, amazing chapter.

Alex, I know that you know what a precious gift you have in Rachel. I know that you know the road she has traveled and the journey she has made. Protect her. Care for her, Love her. I know Rachel well enough to know she will do the same in return.

Now I know you are not the religious type and I promised Rachel this ceremony wouldn't have a boring sermon, but you know I had to slip something in here, right?

In Revelation, the apostle John attempts to describe a vision from God. While there are a lot of strange visions that John tries to describes (I actually think you would enjoy the strangeness), at the end he describes a vision that explains the return of Jesus Christ...

“Then I saw “a new heaven and a new earth,” for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away, and there was no longer any sea. I saw the Holy City, the new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride beautifully dressed for her husband. And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, “Look! God’s dwelling place is now among the people, and he will dwell with them. They will be his people, and God himself will be with them and be their God. ‘He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death’ or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away.” He who was seated on the throne said, “I am making everything new!” Then he said, “Write this down, for these words are trustworthy and true.””
Revelation 21:1-5 NIV

Making all things new. This has been your story.

While the tears, the crying, and the pain are not gone, I can see that they are less than they used to be.

While I do believe that there will come a day when Jesus will return and make all things new, I also believe that he is already in the process of doing this now. The Kingdom of God is not yet here, but aleady breaking in. God is already starting to make things new.

And you, Rachel and Alex, are a part of that work that God is doing. Today, you are taking another step in both of your lives of making something new, something beautiful.

It will not always be easy. It will not always be fun. But is life ever that way?

What you are doing today is starting a new chapter. Making a new commitment. Starting a new journey, together. Today, hope wins.