I’m supposed to be writing on the sixth verse of I Corinthians 13, but sometimes events change the order of things. In my case, it’s my niece’s wedding.

Tomorrow Kristen and Ron will exchange vows in a vineyard and celebrate with friends and family. Then it’s a quick honeymoon trip and gradual figuring out how to be married to each other. Wonderful and awful, hilarious and breathtakingly sad, it’s the shared adventure of a lifetime.

After the ceremony and the introductions, the meal and the party, I’ll find a quiet spot. I’ll think about the day Kristen was born, walking her to Prescott Park when she was two, taking her to New York City in her elementary years, and seeing her move through high school and college. I’ll thank God for Kristen’s past and ask a blessing on her future and the family she creates with Ron. For a moment, I’ll live in that quiet space, sharing my memories and hopes for the niece I love so much with the God who made us both.