We have all experienced loss and disappointment.  We have watched as our dreams burst into flames, slowly fell to the ground and settled among the ash heaps.  It is devastating to watch an idea in which we have believed whole heartily, lose momentum and die.

Many times that is exactly what happens in marriage.  We dream of the wedding, the exquisite dress, the fragrant flowers which will fill the church with their glorious beauty.  We envision our friends dancing gaily with us during the reception and then being scooped up into our husband's strong arms to enjoy our first night of wedded bliss.  We spend so much time preparing for that one day we forget about the 20,000 days which may follow.  Unfortunately, those days come without the dress, the flowers, or the dancing.  Our dreams of happily ever after go up in smoke, along with so many others.  "This is not what I imagined marriage would be," we find ourselves thinking.  And we fall into a pit of bitterness as disappointment spreads through our ideas, crushing our spirits.

What if we spent as much time preparing for the days to follow the wedding as we do preparing for the day itself?  We spent thirteen months preparing for our wedding, yet not once did we contemplate the days to follow. What a shock it was to realize that two individuals trying to become one unit takes time and patience! We were not prepared for life after the honeymoon.  It took twice as long to prepare for "death do us part" after the wedding than if would have if we had just made the necessary preparations before hand.  Why do we spend so much time consumed with one day?  Once the cake is gone and the soiree has ceased, you are bound to someone who will not always be delightful.  

How do we make provisions for a lifetime spent in wedded bliss?  Perhaps that is the answer for which we should be searching, rather than whether or not black is an appropriate color for bride's maid dresses.  

Let God prepare your heart for a lifetime of loving rather than a day of delight.