Over the weekend Robbie and I attended a friend’s wedding. Let me just say, it was one of the sweetest, most sincere weddings I have ever been to. I’ll admit I cried, quite a few times, throughout the ceremony. The bride was a girl I went to high school with and whose little brother is a good friend of my husband’s. She has always been the kind of person who stands up for what she believes in, and doesn’t really care too much about how others view her. Well, she may care, but she doesn’t allow their judgments to interfere with how she has decided to live her life. She is also very mindful of others, and does not force ideas down people’s throats. She is genuine.
The couple decided that as their first act of marriage they would wash one another’s feet, just as Jesus did for his disciples. At first I thought, “how strange”, but as they were washing one another’s feet the beauty and humility of their relationship, and love for one another became so evident. As a guest, you could really feel their devotion to each other.
During the ceremony, the Pastor gave the couple 3 pieces of advice; one of which really resonated with me. He told them to live simply; because when you live simply you can find joy in the smallest of things. I took this piece of advice, not just for my own marriage (although it wouldn’t hurt), but also for my everyday life. Too often, I create lofty, complex expectations that always leave me desiring more. For example, I graduated college believing I should get a great job, doing exactly what I love, paying me great money, all in a matter of weeks. This has lead to disappointment in my job. The disappointment does not stem from the job itself, rather from my attitude toward it. Let me explain further…
In all honesty, I hope that I am not in the same position for the rest of my career. I want to be challenged, I want to progress, I want to evolve. If I approach my job with an attitude of simplicity, then I can find joy in knowing that every task, every responsibility leads me one step closer to reaching the point of personal success and gratification. When I choose simplicity, then I can find joy in the fact that I have a job when many people are without.
Not only did I drive away from the wedding feeling a sweetness for love, I left with an internal challenge to think about my expectations differently. I am grateful for the advice the Pastor passed along to Mark, Elise, and all of their guests; too bad I only remember one!
