And the greatest of these is Love

I am going to be hearing that verse a lot over the next few months. I'm 26. Almost 27 (eek!).  So as you can imagine, I'm right in that sweet spot in life where A LOT of my friends are getting married, and some are even starting families and having babies.  Case in point, this year, between June and the end of the year alone, I have 8 weddings that I have been invited to attend. Only two of these overlap.  I'm exhausted even thinking about it.  And so is my bank account.

Now don't misunderstand, I am so appreciative and excited that all of these friends have asked me to share in their special day with them! But as any other single person (or married person for that matter) can tell you, it gets to be a lot between the bridal showers, bachelorettes, gifts, etc. not to mention if you're actually an attendant in any of them! And furthermore, as someone who isn't married, it can be a little difficult to really get into the celebration when you yourself aren't even close to having this celebration of your own.

I'm only one in for the year - 7 more to go - but I've already decided that this can't be an excuse for a pity party.  Despite where I am in my life, I can be ecstatic for my friends that have found that person to share the rest of their lives with.  And I think I found a way to balance both my excitement for the bridge and groom with the faith that someday I will be in their shoes as well.

Sitting in Bible Study this morning and thinking about all of this, I remembered something my friend Nicole said in her blog before (See Sean and Nicole at the right!).  She mentioned picking a couple a week from their church small group I believe, that she and her husband could pray for.  That got me thinking, why couldn't I do that for those couples this year that I will see tie the knot?  So I've decided that instead of stressing about all of the weddings and what that means for me, I am going to turn my energy to spending a week per couple praying for them and their new marriage and asking that God not only watch over them, but allow them to be an example to those around them of a loving, Christian marriage. I am so thankful for these people in my life that I think it's the very least I could do.

I'm not writing this to say "hey look what I'm doing" or looking for a pat on the back, but truly I want to invite all of you to join me in praying for any couples in your life that are tying the knot during this busy wedding season. Although any of us benefit from prayer at any point in our lives, I think praying for them at this very special time in their lives is especially important.  They are joining their lives together and doing so under quite a bit of pressure considering how much planning and expense today's weddings seem to be accompanied by.  So no matter where you are in your life, think of these special people whose lives are changing before our very eyes this year and ask for God's continued guidance in their marriage and their relationship with Him.