It’s been the most exhausting two weeks with two weddings in
the two weeks before Easter, then Good Friday, Holy Saturday on the High Road,
four services on Easter Sunday and then two more weddings, one on Easter Monday
and Friday this week too.
As exhausted as I was I have had the most amazing time attending,
on Monday, Karen and Dave’s wedding; and on Friday, Wendy and Rich’s wedding. Congratulations
to them all. It was such a privilege to be part of celebrating their special
days.
Quite selfishly I enjoyed them for an extra reason, that
Steve and I could spend some quality time together after the Easter madness,
and he could meet some of my friends. Our lives have been so orientated around
our family and our individual work lives for the last few years, so
infrequently do our lives collide in this way. Yes, we don’t make enough time
for each other.
I remember a time, pre children when we were out most nights,
socialising, dancing and generally hanging out together, spending time in each
other’s work worlds and in our own private world and recently I have found
myself missing those times and craving them again.
To a certain extent it really felt to me that we had drifted
apart a bit, and I desperately wanted him back, I really miss our silly, fun
times together. On Friday night I headed towards the dance floor with some
friends, hesitantly. I haven’t danced for such a long time and I felt really
self conscious, gigging away in the circle, around our handbags (some things
don’t change with time!).
As I stood there I heard Jesus say to me “Sally, what are you
doing? You don’t find it hard to dance in church when you are worshipping me,
you don’t care who is looking then; just get on with it, release those fears
and dance your socks off!”. In that moment I felt instantly free of my
inhibitions. I left the dance floor, grabbed Steve, dragged him up to join in
the fun and we danced and we laughed; and we laughed and we danced. It was the
most incredible time.
It’s all too easy to lose yourself in parenthood and work. You
find yourself always having to be the sensible one, when deep inside a disco
diva, life loving woman is screeching to get out. I don’t want to be the
sensible one all the time and I need to make time to enjoy and appreciate my
husband again, have fun with him again, remember why I fell in love with him
and celebrate that. To really appreciate the man God gave me and remember the
vows that we made in front of him 19 years ago this month.
“Will you
love him, comfort him, honour and protect him,
and, forsaking all others, be faithful to him as long as you both shall live?”.
and, forsaking all others, be faithful to him as long as you both shall live?”.
Lots of other people, things and life have crept between us,
mostly for good reasons, but it says ‘forsaking
all others’, we have to remember that we are the most important people in
our marriage.
Our final dance was a slow one, so wonderful to feel so close
to him and I could almost hear his heart beating, as we danced to ‘Lovely Day’
by Bill Withers. As I sung the words into his ear, it was much like a prayer of
thanks to the two men in my life, by wonderful husband Steve, and my wonderful
saviour and giver of life, Jesus.
With Jesus
in your life, and in your marriage, every day can be a lovely day.
Fancy a dance?
When I wake up in the morning, love
And the sunlight hurts my eyes
And something without warning, love
Bears heavy on my mind
Then I look at you
And the world's alright with me
Just one look at you
And I know it's gonna be
A lovely day
Lovely day, lovely day, lovely day
When the day that lies ahead of me
Seems impossible to face
When someone else instead of me
Always seems to know the way
Then I look at you
And the world's alright with me
Just one look at you
And I know it's gonna be
A lovely day
And the sunlight hurts my eyes
And something without warning, love
Bears heavy on my mind
Then I look at you
And the world's alright with me
Just one look at you
And I know it's gonna be
A lovely day
Lovely day, lovely day, lovely day
When the day that lies ahead of me
Seems impossible to face
When someone else instead of me
Always seems to know the way
Then I look at you
And the world's alright with me
Just one look at you
And I know it's gonna be
A lovely day
