The Backyard Wedding
A wedding is a special occasion. Whether in a cathedral or a backyard, a country church or an urban art gallery, a wedding is a special occasion. Whether the couple spends $100 or $50,000, a wedding is a special occasion. Whether it lasts 10 minutes or 2 hours, a wedding is a special occasion.
The reason weddings are special is because they are a pronouncement of profound love. If the location is special, it is special because of what it means for the couple. If the location does not have a special meaning, the wedding ceremony will transform an otherwise unremarkable space into a place of joyful memories.
This afternoon I attended a wedding in a small backyard. A hodge-podge of plastic and metal chairs sank into the soft soil when guests took their seats. The officiant played music on his phone because no one thought to bring a Bluetooth speaker. Based on appearances, there was nothing special happening this afternoon. Before the wedding, the space we were in was just another backyard in Durham. But during the wedding, that backyard transformed into a place of lifelong memories.
“Love can transform the ordinary into the extraordinary.”
For the couple, that backyard has become the place where they confessed their love for one another and vowed before God and their friends to love each other until the day they die. The love they have for each other was powerful enough to change an ordinary backyard into a place of immense joy. Love can transform the ordinary into the extraordinary.
Love’s transformative power is not limited to locations. Love transforms all kinds of things, including us. The love of God penetrates our hearts and transforms us from the inside out. How has God transformed your life? Where is God transforming ordinary things into extraordinary things? During this season of love, I invite you to fully embrace the love God is showering upon you. Soak it in and let it change you.