The One With Amanda's Thunder

Red letter days don't seem to come around very often so when they do, the best thing to do is celebrate them!

I've been away this weekend at the wedding of my friends Amanda and Alex.

Friends is perhaps too general a term. Amanda has been my friend and put up with me through thick and thin for nearly thirteen years. And (it may appear to be a cliche, but I don't use it often) she really is the closest thing to a sister that I have.

So it was all set up to be a good day and it did not disappoint! Alex and Amanda invited me to take part in the service and let me loose in front of all their guests to do a Bible reading. I was a bundle of nerves beforehand not wanting to do a bad job. However, the chance to stand in front of them both just after they had got married was well worth all the clammy palms and shaky hands that I was having to deal with during the build up. Seeing the broad smiles on their faces was truly special, though I quickly realised that sustained eye contact would cause me to choke up, never a good start when you are supposed to be reading!

Very quickly I came to realise that many of my most favourite people in the universe were in attendance and how often do you encounter that? Not nearly often enough.

But thanks Mark, Jo, Tanya, Louise, Chris, Richard, Jen, Rachel, Pete, Beth, Ben, Dee (and the many others that I've no doubt just offended by not including them, always a danger when you start listing things) for you're part in the day, it was great to see you all.

My point in all this? Firstly, the renewed awareness that I am humbled and privileged indeed to have great friends. The challenge of this is to make sure that I don't just appreciate them on the great days, but remind them of h0w much esteem I hold them in on a regular, if not daily, basis, (which goes for all the others I love who were not in attendance as well).

Secondly...well, it was probably the best wedding party I experienced which, for the hardcore, ended around 1am or just after. But the party did end although we wished it wouldn't. To put a spiritual perspective on stuff though, there is the reminder that, as we sang in church and read in Revelation 19:7-9, that there will one day be a wedding party that never ends.

I'll see you there, if you've responded to your invite that is...

Mr & Mrs Pickering, I love you.