By Ronnie Michel

When I was younger – late teens and early twenties – I would cry at weddings. The beautiful dresses, flowers, and vows would bring me to tears. A few years and a few kids later, I quit crying and started wondering, “Do they know what they’re doing? Are they prepared for this?” As my own children and their friends began to get married, I enjoyed the celebrations and would pray for the futures of each precious couple.

The last wedding I attended was one where my father officiated. As is his custom, he read 1 Corinthians 13:4-7, “Love is patient and kind. Love is not jealous or boastful or proud or rude. It does not demand its own way. It is not irritable, and it keeps no record of being wronged. It does not rejoice about injustice but rejoices whenever the truth wins out. Love never gives up, never loses faith, is always hopeful, and endures through every circumstance.”

After reading this, he turned to the bride and said, “Hopefully, ten years from now, you will be able to put your husband’s name in the place of ‘love’ and it will be true. Ben is patient and kind. Ben is not jealous…”

Although I’ve heard this before, for the first time, I wondered if I would pass the test. Could my name be substituted for love? Am I patient, kind, not jealous, not boastful, not rude…?   I’ll spare you the details, but let’s just say the result almost had me crying at a wedding again.

Ronny can be reached at rmichel@rtconline.com.