Today is my wedding day, and my father will read this poem during my ceremony.     Today is like the new wine flowing from the hands of Christ at the late hour during the wedding of Cana It is like the first blooms of spring and the brilliance of sunrise after the sunset before a long winter: Today is a tree of life. Today is the wonder of divine redemption after the death of dreams, like Isaac’s ram on the mountain It is like a feast at harvest, the evidence of seeds unseen cultivated by Sovereign hands: Today is a promise received. Today is a reflection of God who is faithful in covenant love,...

You know the rest. Never a bride.     This weekend I “starred” as a bridesmaid for the fifth time. This wedding happened to be my sister’s, so it was extra special.   I enjoy being a bridesmaid. It’s an honor to stand up with someone on her day to be queen. It’s fun to wear the fancy dress, get your hair done and carry flowers. I’m all about it.   But deep within I’d like to have my turn as the bride.   Thank God, I did not grow up believing in superstition, that silly things like the number of times one is a bridesmaid prevents one from becoming a bride.   Yet, these...

The grass is dry as hay, the flowers wilting in record-breaking heat. Where I live, we haven’t had rain in at least a month.     That’s why my friend was so disappointed when she told me about the dark clouds and lightning that failed to produce rain one day last week while I was out of town.   But that’s not the only reason she felt disappointed.   The incident, she said, felt like an analogy for her current single season. Just when she thinks the conditions seem right for God to bring a man into her life, nothing happens.   At times, I’ve felt that way myself. Perhaps you...

We’ve all heard them—heartbreaking yet inspiring stories of people whose painful, challenging or unwanted circumstances created a new arena for spiritual ministry.   People like Joni Eareckson Tada, whose quadriplegia became a tool to bring her closer to the Lord and to spread His message of spiritual wholeness to thousands of people.   Or Corrie ten Boom, a never-married woman who lived through Nazi cruelty, injustice and loss, helping others find the love and forgiveness available in Christ.   You can think of others. Their experience was also the Apostle Paul’s, who said, “But I want...

When was the last time one of your single girlfriends told you about her latest adventure and said excitedly, “I can’t believe how many single men were there! And they were part of my generation, too!”     I can’t think of a time, either.   Maybe I’m over-generalizing. If you can think of a time when that happened, then please let me know. I want to go wherever she went!   Sometimes, our experienced reality is not very encouraging. It’s hard to feel hopeful and encouraged about a future marriage when we don’t readily see options and possibilities around us.   Our circumstances...