A while back, we attended my baby brother’s wedding as a family. Y’all, getting eight people anywhere is hard enough—but doing it while wearing a bridesmaid dress, full hair and makeup, and trying to prevent meltdowns? That’s a Herculean task.
I was just trying desperately to get everyone down the aisle without a stain or a meltdown. Spoiler alert: I failed on both counts. But by the end of it, it was a beautiful wedding. My brother and his bride rode off into the sunset, and somehow, amidst the chaos, I realized that weddings—and life—don’t have to be perfect to be precious.
As the day wound down, I took the kids to the church playground to burn off some energy. My husband sat beside me in his suit, and I laid my head on his shoulder. I thought about our own wedding, how the kids made the day even funnier and more special, and how we’ve grown together. Basketball Boy and Miss May both had meltdowns in the middle of our service and the ceremony ended with them in our arms. I whispered to the minister, quoting The Princess Bride: “Man and wife… say man and wife,” while trying not to laugh too hard.
I am so much more thankful for the man God sent me now than I was then. In a few short years, he’s been my anchor, teammate, partner, and best friend. And I’m grateful for the little things—like someone willing to sit on hot concrete in an 85-degree heat wave in a full suit just to be with me and our kids.
It reminded me of Ruth and Boaz (Ruth 2-4). Ruth was faithful, loyal, and committed, and God provided a partner who honored her heart, protected her, and shared life’s burdens.
Marriage, like Ruth and Boaz’s story, isn’t just about a perfect ceremony or ideal moments—it’s about loyalty, partnership, and grace through every challenge.
Ecclesiastes 4:9-10 says:
“Two are better than one, because they have a good return for their labor: If either of them falls down, one can help the other up. But pity anyone who falls and has no one to help them up.”
Marriage—and parenthood—is messy, sweaty, sometimes chaotic, and full of meltdowns. But God gives us partners who help us up, laugh with us, and walk with us through it all.
So here’s to the ones who show up for us, even when it’s uncomfortable, even when it’s messy, even when life is anything but picture-perfect. God knew what He was doing when He sent me my teammate for life.
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