Fitting Finale

There were audible wows all across the room as she glided in, to the stirring strain
of a violin played by him, trailing her. She was every inch a vision in white, as all brides are on their wedding day.  But this was a wedding with a difference. Here was a groom with a violin in hand.  Quite unlike the traditional bridal couple sitting down at a round table for hours, just looking good, eating and shaking hands with guests. 

As my daughter flitted nimbly across the stage, swirling and twirling around, it was as if he was wooing her. They were such a beautiful sight as he laid aside his violin to waltz together. But the finale drew another gasp from the enraptured audience in the hotel ball-room as he flipped her deftly and she fell so naturally to be caught up in his arms. They had done this same maneuver earlier before a smaller (family) crowd walking down the aisle after being pronounced man and wife by her uncle officiating as Pastor. I don't know how many rounds they practiced but we were all suitably very very impressed. I guess all those dancing lessons she took paid off handsomely in the performance of a life-time. It was a most fitting finale to cap the official wedding ceremony of my 2nd daughter.

I must say I am the most blessed and most relaxed mother-in-law. Contrary to what my friends naturally assumed, I wasn't the bit hassled or frazzled. In fact, right up to the eve of the wedding, I was happily doing my own thing, feeding the street people in my regular Saturday ministry and preaching at night. Even on the day itself, I could still attend morning church  service. 

I call Sha-Lyn, my 'sweet-heart', because she is very sweet-looking. But make no mistake, she's got steel somewhere inside her. Every inch the independent, efficient organizer and executioner of things, which incidentally was what her office colleagues said when I stopped by their table during the wedding dinner. 

So from day one, when I was told of the marriage date, Sha-Lyn herself had handled everything. I only had to give her my list of relatives/guests and confirm some customary rites for the Chinese tea ceremony which we weren't sure of (me being the white banana I am.) Rufus, my new son-in-law, is apparently the creative one, which I can appreciate. But he was working overseas, and she was here. So obviously she did all the running around, pulling everything together to culminate in a brilliantly run wedding from start to finish, with very personal and unique touches. A-typically, there was no wedding march or worship songs during the exchange of vows ceremony. Plus on top of the traditional Christian marriage vows, they added their own. Furthermore quite unlike the usual finger-food pre-dinner refreshments, there was a whole roasted pig for guests to tuck in. 

And it all flowed so well, according to time. I am sure all guests were relieved when dinner started just 15 minutes, not 1.5 hours late. The speeches were all short and sweet.  Guests got to have their photos instantly snapped to be collated with their written well-wishes in a book. They could also choose to answer fun or serious questions that would be tagged onto their snapshot. Even the angpows with messages were collated. The couple designed their own photo album, and  composed their own poetry for it. They decided the theme, decor and programme, as well as  got their own personal friends to be MCs for the evening. 

Contrary to my own expectations, I didn't cry, unlike the time of the couple's earlier registration in March 2023. But for my part this round,  I didn't want to just stand up on stage and rattle off the obligatory thank you's. So I spoke what was in my heart; that which is the desire of every parent - to see their off-spring marry. I shared my own marriage experience and what the marriage covenant is meant to be - a seal on a most sacred "heart-transaction" called love between 2 parties, meant for perpetuity. I threw in that old anecdote of why God took a bone out of Adam's rib (not his head or his feet), to create Eve so they could walk together side-by-side completing and complementing each other in a life sealed in love for God and for each other. It was with a very full heart as I blessed my daughter and son-in-law publicly to grow old together, through thick and thin, through sunshine and shadow, to climb mountains and meander thru valleys, to be rooted in God's perfect love, to mature thru the seasons of time and bloom to bear forth much beautiful fruit. From all accounts, it was a speech that resonated well. I was very much encouraged when a lady whom I didn't know drew me aside as I was walking around, to say she felt I spoke her heart as a parent with adult children who weren't interested in marriage. Truly it was God's timely word to both the old and young generation in the audience. 

What I couldn't do during the wedding dinner, I managed to do the morning after. Over breakfast and lunch  I had the chance to catch up with different groups of my relatives from Alor Star, JB and Kota Baru. I am so glad to be able to testify to my niece (herself widowed 5 years ago), who had been turned off "church" by a bad experience with Christians. Amazingly I even got to pray healing for a total stranger as we finished breakfast at the hotel.  A young man had collapsed near the  lift; probably due to over-exertion after gym. Thank God he slowly recovered in the arms of his distraught father. 

But that wasn't the end of it all. In rushing to change attire after the tea ceremony, I had lost one of my earrings, a precious family heirloom handed down from my mother.  I discovered the loss only  after I checked into the neighboring hotel (where my relatives were put up,)  at a very late hour as I was caught up in the very bad Bkt Bintang traffic jam after dinner ended.

 It was only after I came home that I told my daughter to please search for it in the bridal suite which I had used to change. I didn't have much hope of it being found, as it was a very big area.  I just prayed, Lord, I know it's just an object, it's not even all that valuable really.  Whilst I am prepared to accept the loss, since it's my own carelessness, but it really really means a lot to me. Lo and behold, the next day, my daughter tells me she found it on an arm-rest. 

I am once again ever so grateful I have a God who hears and answers prayers. Even /especially when I don't deserve it. And I am not talking about ear-rings. As I see it, God is in the business of restoring all, big or small thing, that has been lost in my family. This is the very first wedding in my own generational line.  I can only thank God He answers a mom's earnest and much protracted prayer in such a grand way; thus I can declare it to be the break-through that has begun and will continue in the lives of my other 2 children as well till its perfect finale when Christ comes again. Be it according to His word...

Mic 2:13 He who opens the breach goes up before them; they break through and pass the gate, going out by it. Their king passes on before them, the LORD at their head.