Watch the Groom

I attended the wedding of one of my son's very closest friends this weekend and in which he was honored to be a groomsman. From the beginning, it has been a storybook kind of romance and engagement. Luke's proposal to Drew even made it on national television! They were married late Saturday afternoon in a romantic outdoor setting at Massee Lane Gardens under huge pecan trees. The ground was sprinkled with rose petals and wild flowers graced the ends of the makeshift aisles.

The bridesmaids and groomsmen made their way through the canopy of trees, and the quickly-turned-shy flower girl was carried in by her father (a brother of the groom). And then, as if on cue, everyone's attention turned to the point of entry and to await the entrance of the beautiful bride. Everyone, that is, but me. I do what I always do. I turned and looked at the groom. Even when my own beautifully arrayed daughter walked through the doors last year to process down the aisle on her father's arm to her soon-to-be husband, I did the same thing. I took a second at that precise moment to look at her man waiting at the end of the aisle. For those who don't, they miss something very special. They miss the ravished look of the bridegroom. That first moment he sees his bride in all her array is quite possibly the most priceless part of the entire ceremony. Most take a quick deep breath, and almost all blink profusely as their eyes begin to water with tears never before expressed. Why? Because they are captured by their bride's beauty.

Oh, indeed, is it not every woman's dream to be captivating to the man she loves? To be beautiful beyond words? To take his breath away?

Paul tells us in Ephesians 5:27 that the believers are the radiant bride of Christ which He presents to Himself without a spot or wrinkle or any other blemish. And I believe the response of Christ is recorded in the Song of Solomon when the Beloved says to his bride, "You have ravished my heart. You have ravished my heart with one look of your eyes." Ravished! Captivated! Stolen! Made his heart beat faster!

I don't know how a man feels about that; but to a woman, it's everything!

Next time you're at a wedding, watch the groom.

Just an ordinary moment...