Saturday, September 3, 2011

A Wedding Story (Two Sparrows in a Hurricane) Part 2

As Arlene moved on up the Gulf of Mexico, we packed our bags to meet her there. We had planned to stay the night in Mobile Thursday night to make it more convenient to get our marriage license on Friday. Yep. . . that's what I said. Apparently to get a marriage license in Alabama, you just show up at the clerk's office with your driver's license, and the next thing you know, you have a marriage license! No blood test, no "are you kin to each other" questionnaire. Just that simple.


On the way down, we decided to stop at Walmart, and we picked up some hot pink umbrellas- our way of hoping for the best actually. If we could have the wedding at Bellingrath under a tent, then we would need pretty matching umbrellas! I had gotten out all my tears that day, and it was "on with the show" at that point.

Friday, Kaleb and I and a couple of our close friends set out from our hotel to downtown Mobile to get our quick-stop marriage license and have lunch. I don't remember worrying much at that point. I knew I was going to be married the next day- one way or another.


That afternoon, an unexpected, pre-hurricane thunderstorm raged through. Just as people were arriving at the hotel- and not long before the rehearsal was to begin- the bottom fell out! Til that point, plans were to move ahead with the rehearsal at Bellingrath and the dinner cruise afterward. Would it pass in time?

It did.

And I praise my Lord for the gifts he gave that evening. After the storm passed, the sky cleared, and the evening turned out to be most beautiful- with a hand-painted sunset and a nice breeze. The rehearsal was held under the big white tent, and for all that I remember, it went smoothly. Then, we all enjoyed a smorgasbord of food and music on the dinner boat cruise, and it was just a delight to have so many friends and loved ones in one place at one time, loving us. They had truly driven straight toward a hurricane to be there for us.



We laughed and danced, and many of them took a turn with the microphone- telling stories about our relationship, about my gullibility, about the complementary differences in our personalities. Funny stories, sweet stories, stories that only friends would know. We loved it. They loved us- and we sure loved them.



At the end, I stood at the microphone and in an effort to help everyone be at ease, I sang "His Eye is on the Sparrow". Again, my desire was for them to see that I was ok. Then they could be ok too. And I was ok at that point. I was really ok.


Tomorrow would come. And when it would come, it would have a story of its own.

Why should I feel discouraged? why should the shadows come?
Why should my heart be lonely  and long for heaven and home?
When Jesus is my portion- My constant friend is He:
His eye is on the sparrow, and I know He watches me;
His eye is on the sparrow, and I know He watches me.

I sing because I’m happy,
I sing because I’m free,
For His eye is on the sparrow,
And I know He watches me.

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