“‘For this reason a man will leave his father and mother and be united to his wife, and the two will become one flesh.’ This is a profound mystery—but I am talking about Christ and the church.” — Ephesians 5:31-32
There are not many weddings these days. My 20 and 21-year old daughters were never flower girls. This would be the first wedding representing my son’s generation, and the Best family showed up in force. We had a great time, but one memory stands out for me from the celebration.
Imagine an Amish barn built on a hillside. Cascades of sheer white voile and interwoven lights draped the rafters to create an ambient glow inside the space.
It was time for the mother and son dance. My handsome son stood and took his mother’s hand. My wife was radiant as she accepted her firstborn’s hand. The familiar intro began to play – ” Do do doop dum, do do doop do doop da dum..” My wife pressed her head close to his chest to hear his heartbeat.
“We were as one, babe
For a moment in time
And it seemed everlasting
That you would always be mine”
As my wife danced with her son to the sweet melody, tears softly flowed for me as I reflected on the gift God has given to me: a son who will now be a husband. Then, my wife did something amazing. She gently pushed away from her son and lip-synced these poignant words to Mariah Carey’s song:
“Now you want to be free
So I’ll let you fly
‘Cause I know in my heart, babe
Our love will never die, no
You’ll always be a part of me, I’m part of your indefinitely
Boy don’t you know your can’t escape me?
Ooh, darling, ’cause you’ll always be my baby”
She then gestured to his wife, Joannah, to join her husband, leaving her son with his new bride as they embraced and danced for the remainder of the song. I joined my wife, and together we gazed upon the new Mr. & Mrs. Leon Best.
The institution of marriage established by God is a beautiful testimony to Christ and His bride, the church. There are too few marriages today that express this beautiful symbol of Christ’s love for us.
Sincerely,
Leon Best
Best Times 