February 25 – “THAT wedding”

Chris and I drove to Lufkin today.  Not for a leisurely, three hour, fun filled excursion away from home.  I was asked to do a funeral there.  Interesting story.   About ten years ago I did a wedding on the beach right near the church that turned into the biggest debacle of all time.  Well, at least of any wedding I have ever done before or since.  And I have done quite a few since then.   The wedding was supposed to start at 7:00.  Not a bad time.  Just before sunset on the beach at Galveston.  Very romantic.  But the groom called and asked if they could move it to 8:00.  That would be 8:00 after the before-mentioned sunset had already occurred.  I told him about the way darkness works here on the island.  We negotiated briefly and settled on 7:30.    The groom arrived at 7:40.  Alone.  Everyone else finally drove up around 8:10.  It was dark.  No problem.  I rummaged through my desk and found one of those little penlight flashlights that I had for emergencies.  I was good to go in the dark.    Against my advice, we headed over to the beach in cars.  As I feared, the lead truck – mine – got stuck in the sand when a small child ran right in front of me at just the accelerate-or-get-stuck point.  The entire caravan was blocked.   About that time the Jamaica Beach Police came and found out it was a wedding, so they turned on their flashing lights and kept all other cars out of the way so we could continue on and rescue the stuck truck after the wedding.  We set up in the glow of the headlights of the stuck truck and called for the bride to come on.  She was waiting with her father about five cars back.   As she approached, a car came from the beach side behind us, whipped in back of the stuck truck, and started to hook up a line to pull it out. The groom said, "Time out! Wait until we get done here!  We're trying to have a wedding!"  Thinking us ungrateful, our Good Samaritans left in a huff.   The bride and he Dad again began her long-awaited walk down the aisle of sand.  But now said sand had accumulated on her train.  And it fell off.  Dad and several ladies rushed to her aid, shook off the sand, hooked the train back on, and the bride and her dad began yet again.  We all breathed a sigh of relief as they got almost to the headlights.  This was going to work!  At that point, however, a tiny little old lady I later found out was Granny snuck around to the front from the other side of the crowd.  She winked and gave me the shush sign as she passed by  with one of those huge boom boxes on her shoulder playing the wedding march.  She jumped out in front of them.  It was her little surprise for the bride.  For us all!   Finally we began. After a few pages, my penlight's batteries died.  I didn't have the service memorized, so I turned sideways so I could use the headlights to see.  That was fine but not ideal for a phrase or two.  Just then a guy walked up out of the crowd with one of those old original cameras that you hold on your shoulder.  The kind that has a big light on the front.  I told him we had a special spot for him to video – right behind me.  I could see!   Well, until his light started going out at random during the reading of the Scripture.  1 Corinthians 13 will never be quite the same for me. "If I could speak in any language in heaven or on earth but did not love, I would only be making meaningless noise like a loud gong or a clanging cymbal. If I had the gift of prophecy" The light went out.  As I said, I don't have the service memorized, so I ad-libbed:                                                                 ­ "And could memorize large portions of scripture, and remember every detail of marriage ceremonies, but did not love, it would mean nothing." <The light came back on> "And if I knew all the mysteries about everything. . ."  <I paused.  It was working!  I continued … "Love never gives up ..." <Lights out!> "... and neither will we"  <Lights back on> "... Love never loses faith, is always hopeful, and endures through every circumstance." <At this point I looked directly at the light.  It stayed on, so I turned back to the book>   "So..." <The light went out!  This time I didn't say anything.  I just stared at the camera and shook my head.  And the light came back on.> "These three remain, faith, hope, and love." <Lights out> <In the dark I said:>  "This part I do know!  The greatest of these is love!"   We got the couple married, and they were just as happy as they could be. I think the word of the night was... Memorable.   The funeral was for that bride's Dad.  He had requested that the pastor who did that wedding be the one who presided at his funeral.  So we went to Lufkin.   John 14:1-3 says, "Do not let your hearts be troubled. Trust in God a; trust also in me. 2 In my Father's house are many rooms; if it were not so, I would have told you. I am going there to prepare a place for you. 3 And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back and take you to be with me that you also may be where I am."   Father, send your comfort to that sweet couple.  Give them another fun decade.  Amen.