The showers are over and your special day is almost here. You are excited about how the wedding plans are all coming together, and that you are able to check things off on your ‘To Do’ list. It is amaz­ing to see God’s faithfulness to the two of you during this time of planning for not only your wedding day, but your marriage. Hopefully you have seen His hand at work in every stage of your relationship and it has been cause for heartfelt thanksgiv­ing on the part of your family and friends. Everyone around you is full of anticipation for that moment when they see you walk­ing down the aisle on your father’s arm, with eyes only for your bridegroom standing at the front of the church.

For you the anticipation has been building since the day he told you that he loved you and wanted to marry you! You could hardly wait to spend the rest of your life with him, and it seemed so very far away. There were so many decisions to be made, details to be planned, and people to see. Now you are almost there! You are counting weeks and days, no longer months or even years.

But there is one more feeling that perhaps you weren’t prepared for. Your parents may be grieving because they know that though you will always be their little girl, you will be a wife first.Whereas you can hardly wait for your wedding day to arrive, there are times when they wish they could make the clock stand still. When someone asks how you are doing, your face lights up as you talk about him and your future together. You are looking forward to being a wife, taking care of him and being there for him. Your energy goes into communicating with him, planning for your big day, and being ready to set up your new home together.

God is already drawing your heart away from your family and friends, and preparing you for being a wife! It can be seen in the little things, when you get a letter in the mail, or a message that he called, how your heart leaps towards him in eager anticipation of what he said. And yet at the same time, there is that little nagging doubt in the back of your mind. Will I be a good wife? Will our love grow stronger with each passing day?

There are many parallels between you planning for your wedding and looking forward to being in the arms of your bridegroom, and believers looking forward to Christ’s return. They are called the Bride and He is the Bridegroom. Too often, instead of anticipation, we are filled with other emotions, perhaps fear,or even grief at leaving that which we have here on earth. Instead, we should be filled with anticipation, eagerly waiting and listening to every Word from our bridegroom, making preparations for that day when we will see Him face to face. Just as you, the bride, spend hours planning and getting ready for your wedding day and your marriage to this amazing man, so we should anticipate that marvelous day when our Bridegroom will come for us and we will be with Him for all of eternity.

Enjoy the journey, these last days of singleness, and anticipate all that God has for you and your life together with your husband.

Father, thank You for the way that You have brought us together, fitting us together to be a perfect match. In the same way that we eagerly anticipate our wedding day and our life as husband and wife to begin, remind us to be just as eager about our relationship with you. Thank you that some day soon we will see You face to face. Amen