Today a good friend of mine married his best friend. It was a beautiful ceremony and was quite the reception. It was clear that the two of them love and are loved by many.
Now when I say that Marcus is a good friend of mine I mean it. However, I have only known him for about a year now and really have only spent time with him on a few occasions. But I still count him as a good friend. It is funny how quick you can get to know someone and feel deeply connected when one or both parties are willing to be vulnerable and ask the right questions and go out on the right limbs. That is how I would describe Marcus. He came to work at CrossView last summer for 2 months, but in that time it was incredible how quick he developed some really deep relationships. Marcus would never ask you to go out on a limb he wasn’t willing to walk first though and I think that is what makes people so comfortable around him. It is as if his motto is, “well, I trusted you this much, now trust me.” I’m not sure if you have ever been around anyone like that but they have you sharing your deepest thoughts and feelings within minutes and you have no idea why you are sharing them, but it feels so natural. Tonight I watched as the dancing started as he had tons of people around him going crazy on the dance floor because he was willing to do anything to get the party started and once he showed people that it was a safe space people were willing to join him. That is the mark of a great leader.
At one point in the night he grabs a microphone to thank people for their love and support and starts naming off people in the room. There were people ranging from officers in the military to doctors to med students to people he did research with at Yale and at some point I am sitting there thinking to myself, “why am I here?” It was quite overwhelming to see how many people this couple has impacted in one way or another. I cannot describe the amount of times I have walked away from a short conversation with Marcus feeling so refreshed and encouraged whether I needed it or not and to see all these people around me that undoubtedly feel the same way.
I can’t say much about Becky, for my interactions with her are brief, however I do know that she can take a joke. One thing I learned early on (maybe before I met Becky) was her nickname, which I don’t know how many people know what it is or if I should say, so I won’t, but she is clearly a good sport. Basically she too is someone who is full of humility and a love for Jesus and that is very evident in the brief interactions I have had with her.
Whenever I perform a wedding I laugh a little because I always meet with the couple before they get married and encourage them to do some sort of pre-marital counseling. The reason I laugh is because I have had couples ask me to do their counseling and I have never been married (or even close if we are being honest), but I always just give them a picture of what the New Testament describes love as: two people who simply look to the needs of others above their own and is willing to do whatever it takes for the other (even if that means look like a fool to others). And when I look at Marcus and Becky that is what I see: two people who are willing to do anything for one another and together for others no matter what on-lookers might think. So here is to a couple that is full of grace and love for life, Jesus, and one
another. May God continue to bless this journey you are on together for many many years.
No comments:
Post a Comment