Wedding Dress and Psalm 102:25-26

My thrift store prom dress

 When I was a lifeguard in high school, I would spend a significant amount of my time on the chair mentally designing my wedding dress. I had managed to repurpose a regular thrift store dress into a pretty awesome prom dress with the help of my mom, and I had some pretty extravagant ideas about what I wanted for my wedding dress.

Fast-forwarding about 5 years to my boyfriend and I talking about getting married, and the dress is the first thing that comes to my mind. I texted multiple people before we were engaged to try to get somebody to go dress shopping with me (getting no takers, I did end up waiting until I had the ring). I had fallen in love with a dress designer in Minneapolis (joynoelle.com, her dresses are breathtaking, and all unique), but being a budget-conscious middle child who wants to please everyone I decided against the steep price tag.
I ended up going dress shopping three different times before finally finding "the one." It was the last dress I tried on, and it was everything I was looking for: reasonably priced, light, and unique.
And then I got Pinterest. I went through a period of about a month of looking at all of these gorgeous dresses, lamenting the fact that I'd purchased one so soon. I finally had to cut myself off.

On my wedding day, I was most pleased with my dress. I had looked at it as a big part of "my big day" and it fulfilled its role as expected.
But now, when I think about my wedding day, my dress is nothing special. Not because it wasn't a great dress, but because so many more wonderful things were going on. My husband and I got to share communion with our family and friends. My new brother-in-law and his wife were there with their 3-day old son. My cousins were playing frisbee on the lawn. I got to dance with my favorite little girls.

And sure, its important because it is one of the most photographed pieces of clothing you will own in your life; but those photographs will eventually come down in my house to be replaced by pictures of my children.

The glory of finding a fantastic dress was eventually eclipsed by the glory of a great wedding; which has also been diminished by the glory of working with my husband toward a marriage that reflects Christ's relationship with His Church, everyday. So in wedding dresses, as in all things, keep your eyes on things that matter, things that are eternal.

Long ago you laid the foundation of the earth

and made the heavens with your hands. 

They will perish, but you remain forever;

they will wear out like old clothing.

You will change them like a garment

and discard them.