Today I gave Heather away to be married. While we waited for all the bridesmaids to enter, I told her that I love her, and what a special moment this was. As I escorted her down the aisle, many thoughts rolled through my mind. The first was gratitude.
I was grateful to God for His abundant grace in our family's life. I was aware that I was far, far from being the father I ought to have been, yet my daughter turned out so well. I am not the husband I ought to be -- far from it, yet my Adie and I savor and enjoy a delightful marriage. I wasn't the prospective father-in-law-to-be that I ought to have been, yet my new son-in-law Jared is a great delight and so gracious to me. Amazing, stunning grace.
As I reflected on that, tears welled up in my eyes. Oh, oh, I thought, I'm going to loose my composure like I did in the wedding rehearsal the evening before. But so what, why not show the tears of gratitude of God's amazing grace.
Heather and I walked further, I saw all the people. Many of them were friends from our church, relatives from around the country -- most all of them used by God to graciously help our family through good times as well as bad times. I was grateful for all these people, who in various important ways helped raise my daughter. The grandparents, aunts and uncles, cousins, friends in the community and in this church, Sunday school teachers, youth leaders, along with our new in-laws, who helped our daughter in so many ways. What a blessing all these people are. How grateful I am to every one of them!
As we approached the platform, I was reminded of the symbolism of marriage and the Church of Christ. I played the role of Christ in my daughter's life, nurturing her in the faith. I remember singing "Holy, Holy, Holy" with her when she was two years old, turning three, teaching the catechism, praying with her. Now I was presenting my daughter, in her pure white, radiant dress to her groom, just as Christ presents the Church, without spot to the Father. I joined Jared's hand to Heather's hand, giving them my enthusiastic blessing.
What an amazing joy it is to be a father. What an even more amazing joy it is to have God's grace.
