Our youngest daughter's wedding was this past Saturday. The weather was perfect and the event was filled with joy and celebration. The couple is honeymooning in a resort in Mexico, and Mother and Dad are recuperating from the festivities at home.So many things were meaningful about the weekend, but the one I want to share is what our friend, Steve Sadler, the one who officiated the wedding, said in the service. (I prefer being Father of the Bride for my daughters' weddings; that, and I could never speak to get through the ceremony!)
After Steve invited Kim and Ryan's parents to join me and the couple at the altar, he told them to look around them. He said after they had looked (and we laughed at the awkwardness of the pause), "You have everything you need for your marriage with you here tonight. There is no lotto ticket or prepaid mortgage, or car of your choice.
You have everything
you need now and the rest of your lives together: your faith, your family, and your friends."How simple and how true. That is all any of us need for a successful marriage (and life): faith to keep our hearts connected to God; family who are our "go to" no matter what; and, friends who share the adventure of life.
As Kim and I enter the third third of our lives, our faith, family, and friends will continue to be the foundation for finishing well.