On Your Wedding Day

ON YOUR WEDDING DAY

by HELEN STEINER RICE



I KNOW YOUR HEART IS FILLED WITH A HAPPINESS
THAT IS SO BREATHTAKINGLY WONDERFUL THAT IT
MAKES YOU ALMOST AFRAID! YOU WISH YOU COULD
CAPTURE AND HOLD THIS BEAUTIFUL JOY FOREVER
CHANGELESS AND UNCHANGING THROUGH THE YEARS,
BUT, GREAT SHINING HOURS, LIKE YOUR WEDDING DAY,
CANNOT CONTINUE AT THIS PINNACLE OF ECSTASY OR YOUR
HEART WOULD SURELY BURST WITH THE BEAUTY OF IT.
BUT GOD IS LOVE AND HE MADE THE HUMAN HEART CAPABLE
OF THIS GREAT MIRACLE OF LOVE SO THAT WE MIGHT
GLIMPSE HEAVEN AND EXPERIENCE THAT DIVINE TOUCH,
AND IN THE WONDER AND AWE OF THIS NEWFOUND GLORY
WE MIGHT FEEL HIS NEARNESS AND REALIZE THAT IT IS HE
AND HE ALONE WHO CAN MAKE LOVE ETERNAL. SO, I ASK
THAT GOD GRANT YOU FAITH IN EACH OTHER AND FAITH IN
HIM SO THAT YOUR LOVE BECOMES PART OF HIS LOVE, AND
WITH HIS GUIDANCE AND HIS BLESSING, MAY YOU LIVE
TOGETHER BRAVELY AND BEAUTIFULLY, SHARING
SUNSHINE AND RAIN...SMILES AND TEARS...BITTER AND
SWEET! MAY YOUR FAITH IN GOD AND EACH OTHER GIVE
YOU THE STRENGTH AND THE PATIENCE TO OVERCOME THE
TEMPTATIONS OF IMPULSIVE YOUNG HEARTS, SO THAT NO
MISUNDERSTANDINGS MAY DIVIDE YOU OR DISTURB YOU.
THROUGH THE YEARS, MAY YOUR PHYSICAL LOVE BECOME
A "GREAT LIGHT" THAT ILLUMINATES THE SOUL SO THAT THE
"TRANQUIL LOVELINESS OF EVENTIDE" IS EVEN MORE
WONDERFUL THAN THE "GLORY OF LOVE'S DAWN."
MAY GOD BLESS YOUR WEDDING DAY, HALLOW YOUR
MARRIAGE NIGHT, AND SANCTIFY YOUR MOTHERHOOD
IF HE SEES FIT TO GRANT YOU THAT PRIVILEGE. TODAY
YOU LOVE EACH OTHER WITH YOUR HEARTS...BUT WITH
GOD'S EYE UPON YOU, YOU WILL COME TO LOVE EACH
OTHER WITH YOUR SOULS AND THEN, MY DEAR, YOUR
LOVE IS ETERNAL, AND YOU WILL TAKE IT WITH YOU
TO THE SKIES.







THE LORD IS MY ROCK, MY FORTRESS,
AND MY DELIVERER, MY GOD,
MY ROCK IN WHOM I TAKE REFUGE, MY SHIELD,
AND THE HORN OF MY SALVATION, MY STRONGHOLD.



PSALM 18:2
NRSV



HE ALONE IS MY ROCK AND MY SAVIOR-
MY STRONGHOLD.
I CANNOT BE SEVERELY SHAKEN.



PSALM 62:2
GOD'S WORD



DEPEND ON THE LORD;
TRUST HIM, AND HE WILL TAKE CARE OF YOU.



PSALM 37:5
NCV



WE DEPEND UPON THE LORD ALONE
TO SAVE US. ONLY HE CAN HELP US;
HE PROTECTS US LIKE A SHIELD.



PSALM 33:20
TLB



BE EXALTED ABOVE THE HEAVENS, O GOD;
LET THY GLORY BE ABOVE ALL THE EARTH.



PSALM 57:5
NAS



WHO IS THE KING OF GLORY?
THE LORD STRONG AND MIGHTY,
THE LORD MIGHTY IN BATTLE.
LIFT UP YOUR HEADS, O YOU GATES;
LIFT THEM UP, YOU ANCIENT DOORS,
THAT THE KING OF GLORY MAY COME IN.



PSALM 24:8-9
NIV



IN GOD IS MY SALVATION AND MY
GLORY: THE ROCK OF MY STRENGTH,
AND MY REFUGE, IS IN GOD.
TRUST IN HIM AT ALL TIMES; YE PEOPLE,
POUR OUT YOUR HEART BEFORE HIM;
GOD IS A REFUGE FOR US.



PSALM 62:7-8
KJV