Over the last year, I've heard wedding stories, wedding advice, and more than a few wedding woes. Here is our story.
When Elise married last autumn, my mind constantly recalled Steel Magnolias. Bob and his gun would set off to rid the yard of armadillos. Elise and I taste-tested red velvet cake. Some days, I couldn’t decide if I was M’Lynn, Truvy, Clairee, Ouiser, or Annelle. Sometimes, I was all five in one. Elise has always been my Shelby. She would rather have thirty minutes of wonderful than a lifetime of nothing special. Elise knew what she was doing as she planned her day to the last incredible detail. I on the other hand didn't have a clue about what I was doing, so I began praying and looking for scripture that would wrap my family in a bubble of God’s grace. I made really bad jokes about my spiritual life being renewed until a friend from church challenged me. Ruth told me if my only wish was to simply survive it all, then I was going to miss the party of my life. She described how she savored every moment with her children as they married. This lady made an incredible impact on my perception of what should be important. I continued to stumble through it, but my daily prayers for God to help me celebrate with my family became a priority. Another dear friend, Jeni, talked with me about responding to situations rather than reacting in panic, fear, or anger as problems arise. She reminded me how to seek peace when I needed it. The Thursday morning before Elise’s wedding, I found myself kneeling at the altar of the church where Elise would stand with Matt. I was exhausted. I surrendered. I acknowledged that all my planning and all my determination were insufficient. Rain was coming Saturday, and the reception was outside. Because I had not specifically paid to reserve the big tent in case of rain, the company thought I no longer wanted it. They rented their last tent just hours before I called. In fact, there was only one tent available in or around Georgia. It only cost $18,000 and came with a choice of chandeliers. Not an option for the Arnolds. On my knees, I didn’t ask God to provide a tent or stop the rain. I prayed that He would be glorified no matter what happened. I prayed for Him to help me let my daughter go and become the incredible woman she was meant to be. She was slipping through my fingers to be with Matt, a truly great guy. Because I wanted to celebrate my daughter’s marriage with her, I prayed for His peace. Bob will tell you that we witnessed miracles that weekend. I watched my precious daughter marry a precious man. During her life, I have seen Elise reflect God’s light. Many of her ceremony plans revealed what she gained from Camp Cosby and Walk to Emmaus- her of love for Christ. On her wedding day, Elise was beautiful, content, and confident. I saw God’s light shine through her. She radiated His Love and accepted blessings He offered. She was happy because she had found her home in Matt. That night, we danced. We celebrated. It didn’t rain. When Ashleigh and Dallas began to plan their big day, I swore I would not make the same wedding mistakes. They chose a gorgeous venue with perfect back up scenario in case of rain. We just weren’t prepared for Covid-19. I was on my way to making all new wedding mistakes. I talked with Bob about praying for the upcoming wedding, but I never gave myself over to it. I would pray for many things, but I didn’t know what I needed to pray for exactly. God did. In May, wedding questions and problems came as we were forced to change venues, but I had few answers. Our new venue was also outside so we could try to stay compliant with Covid-19 restrictions. I could only offer Dallas and Ashleigh confidence that his glowing bride would walk to her handsome groom. That is all I knew. On June 6, 2020, they would get married, and she would be beautiful. That and we needed tents. The excitement in Ashleigh's voice as she greeted me in our kitchen the day of the wedding was genuine. I'm gettting married today, JoJo! For the entire morning, she glowed. She was even able to have incredible photo sessions with her bridesmaids and parents. One by one her wedding dreams were coming true. June 6 was actually a sunny day... until it wasn't. When torrential rains showed no sign of ceasing at 4:30 last Saturday afternoon at Sumerford Farms, groomsmen huddled up with Dallas. I watched them pray for the ceremony, for our bride to be sustained with peace during this quick change of plans, and that God be glorified in all of it. The groomsmen blindfolded Dallas and walked him over to the cottage for the wedding. Ashleigh’s one wish was for Dallas to first see her as she walked down the aisle. We had no idea where she was waiting. We had a new plan, and I suddenly became a lovely combination of Reese Witherspoon and Mary Poppins. At 4:50, I stood in front of a small but bewildered crowd of family and friends huddling ankle deep in puddles under reception tents. To my amazement, I heard my best Melanie Carmichael southern accent as I yelled out over the pouring rain- Hey Y'all! We’re gonna have us a wedding! Mary Poppins? Just imagine me in that moment smiling brightly and holding an umbrella as blowing wind tried to carry me off. I was also trying to pull miracles out of a bag. The wedding was in fact practically perfect in every way. Our miracles had nothing to do with me. Ashleigh amazed us all. She walked toward Dallas with grace and confidence, waiting for that first look. Dallas amazed us with his sincere reaction of awe and love. They married in the rain, under a small tent, in an unforgettable ceremony. The bride was happy. We celebrated. We danced. The storms passed. The incredible sunset summed up what I cannot quite put into words. That's how three became five. I prayed through it all. I chose to celebrate.
3 Comments
Amy
6/14/2020 06:40:56 am
We love and adore all five of them!
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Ashleigh Arnold
6/14/2020 10:45:42 am
This is beautiful!!
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Blake Kennedy
6/14/2020 11:05:51 am
I smiled the entire time reading this! Such a blessing! ❤️
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JoAnna Arnold
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