A Commoner becoming ROYALTY

Yesterday was the Royal Wedding. I actually caught most of it online yesterday, but this afternoon it was being replayed on Public TV, so of course-- I tuned in to catch the real deal ... just a day late.

It's not everyday that a real life fairy-tale makes its way onto your Television set. I watched the crowds surge with excitement. I watched the arrivals of dignitaries and celebrities to the church. I watched the self-assured groom drive through the crowded streets and carry himself up the long aisle to wait for his Bride. I watched the flower girls and boys walk in -- obviously not aware of how many people were watching their every move. I watched as the Royal Family drove through the streets -- waving at their adoring subjects. I watched as the Royal Family entered the church and sat down. And there we were. All of us. Waiting.


Waiting.

Waiting.

Awaiting the moment when we would see the Bride.

The Dress. The Flowers. The Jewelry. The Beauty.
The Commoner who was going to become Royalty before our eyes.

For that one moment, Royalty and Dignitaries and Commoners alike were all in the same boat: Waiting.

The moment I first saw the Bride -- I saw perfection.
The Dress was perfect. Her hair was perfect. Her flowers were perfect. Her Jewelry was perfect. Her Beauty was unmatched. She was the epitome of what a Bride should be.
White.
Spotless.
Pure.
Beautiful.

And yet, she was still a Commoner. Chosen by Royalty to become part of the Royal Family. She was driving to the church as a Commoner. She would leave a Royal. What a crazy and mind-bending thought.

Tonight as I folded our laundry, I thought about the Royal wedding. I thought about the idea of a Commoner becoming Royalty in a manner of moments.

And then it hit me. One day the Church will be that Bride. We are the BRIDE of Christ. He is our Groom.

We are the Commoner that was chosen to become part of the Royal Family.

One day we will be joined together with Him forever. We will be the pure, spotless, pure, beautiful bride who everyone is waiting with baited breath to catch a glimpse of.

I want to be the most Beautiful Bride that He deserves. What am I doing to prepare myself for my big day? Am I spending time with Him? Am I making sure that I be the best I can be for Him? Am I making sure that I am adorning myself with the things He finds beautiful? What kind of Bride am I preparing to be?

Ephesians 5:21-33

Out of respect for Christ, be courteously reverent to one another.

Wives, understand and support your husbands in ways that show your support for Christ. The husband provides leadership to his wife the way Christ does to his church, not by domineering but by cherishing. So just as the church submits to Christ as he exercises such leadership, wives should likewise submit to their husbands.

Husbands, go all out in your love for your wives, exactly as Christ did for the church—a love marked by giving, not getting. Christ's love makes the church whole. His words evoke her beauty. Everything he does and says is designed to bring the best out of her, dressing her in dazzling white silk, radiant with holiness. And that is how husbands ought to love their wives. They're really doing themselves a favor—since they're already "one" in marriage.

No one abuses his own body, does he? No, he feeds and pampers it. That's how Christ treats us, the church, since we are part of his body. And this is why a man leaves father and mother and cherishes his wife. No longer two, they become "one flesh." This is a huge mystery, and I don't pretend to understand it all. What is clearest to me is the way Christ treats the church. And this provides a good picture of how each husband is to treat his wife, loving himself in loving her, and how each wife is to honor her husband.