Woven Blessings
Summer 2006

by Sheri L. VanDuyn

Is this the little girl I carried?
Is this the little boy at play?
I don't remember growing older,
When did they?

When did she get to be a beauty?
When did he grow to be so tall?
Wasn't it yesterday when they were small?

Sunrise sunset, sunrise, sunset!
Swiftly fly the years,
One season following another,
Laden with happiness and tears...
…One season following another,
Laden with happiness and tears…

This song was sung at my wedding over 30 years ago and the song still rings in my ears from my own reception. Now that my daughter, Sarah’s wedding date is here, I really do wonder-where did all the time go? Where did all the years go? Some days I do not feel like the years have flown by, but then I look at the photos of my 2 children-Sarah and Brian and I wonder where the time has really gone?

Over a year ago, Sarah announced her engagement to her guy named Daren. This gave us plenty of time to get to know her fiancé better as well as plan for their special day. Daren and Sarah picked Saturday, April 29, 2006 as their wedding day. I tried to remind my daughter that I taught during the school year and that summer would really work out well for me. Well, the date stayed as Sarah said that she did not want to be a summer bride and then I could enjoy my whole summer. (Of course at the time, I was not real keen about this date, but now I am really looking forward to having my summer to enjoy and not worry about putting the finishing touches on a wedding.)

The church, the minister, and the reception hall were booked immediately. Then we selected the photographer and went dress shopping. One of my fellow teachers was busy planning her wedding, so we would brainstorm about wedding plans and ideas. After her wedding last summer, she passed on all her bridal magazines and idea books-her wedding was a success and she did not need these for planning anymore.

Sarah, Daren and I attended bridal shows to get ideas. We went to food tasting with my husband at the reception hall with other engaged couples. There you could get a nice selection of food to taste from appetizers, to punch, to main course entrees. This also gave you an idea of how the room could be set up and how the hall could be decorated.

Then invitations needed to be selected, addressed and sent. I joked with Sarah, "Did she want me to address her invitations in calligraphy?" "Of course!" she said, "Yes!" I reminded her that the going rate for an invitation with calligraphy was $1.00 a line; so the cost would be about $4.00 each to send. Without hesitation or missing a beat, she said-"Just charge this to Dad!" Yes, there was always the underlying Bank of Dad! Any guy who has had a daughter getting married knows about this bank. This is the one in which you get to make a lot of withdrawals and making deposits only to cover all the checks that will have to be written!

While you might get the idea that I was totally fixed on planning this wedding, I really wanted this to be my daughter’s event. I did however want this day to be an important one in which commitment to her life partner would also be the main focus of this special date.

Look carefully; these texts spell out Sarah’s name.

"Serve the Lord with gladness; come before Him with singing."-Psalms 100: 2

"As for me and my house, we will serve the Lord."- Joshua 24: 15

"Remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy. Six days shall you labor and do all your work." –Exodus 20: 8, 9

"Always be mindful of His covenant; the word which He commanded to a thousand generations."-I Chronicles 16: 15

"Hear my prayers, O God; give ear to the words of my mouth."-Psalms 54: 2

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