Dear Duke and Duchess of Sussex;
I owe you an apology.
It’s not for missing your wedding; no, I attended, seated comfortably on my couch in my pajamas…one of millions.
It’s not for falling asleep during the ceremony; no, even though I was up at 4:00 AM Mountain Time, I was definitely wide awake (otherwise, I would be apologizing for missing the Grand Event – I was, actually, thankful I had woken up and could tune in).
It’s not for lack of noticing the details – my eyes literally soaked in everything. May I mention a few of my favorite things?
? The moment you first saw your bride, your Highness…your eyes said it all, no words were necessary…your great love was evident. Then, as you turned to look in her eyes, you said, “You look amazing!” (Oh, sigh…that was all that mattered to your bride – every woman longs to KNOW that her husband thinks she is beautiful, and, that he sees her as his beloved.)
? As Prince Charles placed Meghan’s delicate hand in yours, Prince Harry, you looked him square in the eye and whispered, “Thank you, Pa…” I felt quite like I had invaded an intimate family moment. For some reason my eyes leaked a little…
? The sneak-side-peaks at one another…as if you couldn’t quite capture enough of the event, or of each other…and you were afraid you might lose the memory. I loved that you both seemed to be savoring the day… It made me smile…often.
? The simple (albeit, EXPENSIVE) and exquisite beauty – St. George’s Cathedral was dressed to the nines, the flowers were stunning (and a lovely tribute to Diana), the lone diamond bracelet on the bride’s wrist (and no other jewelry to detract from her loveliness), the simple bouquet made up of flowers the groom picked himself the day before in Kensington Gardens, the small and open carriage that spoke of a desire to be available to the common man… In a picture dictionary, your wedding pictures would stand beside the word ELEGANT.
? The flowers on the bride’s veil – a tribute to every country in the commonwealth; the colliding of two cultures in a myriad of details. Your wedding in every way shouted a desire for the coming together of all men, all nations, all lands. I certainly took notice, it is a prayer of my heart, too.
? The passion of the Episcopalian Bishop who delivered the wedding address – I loved his message on LOVE. These words resonated in my heart:
? Oh! The JOY of all who shared in the day…
My apology is for this:
Everything I loved, sent my imagination soaring HEAVENWARD.
Everything I loved about your wedding, reminded me that there is coming a day when Jesus finally marries His bride, and we celebrate the event in a significant, marvelous ceremony that is incomparable in beauty, simplicity, and intimacy.
Every detail I have mentioned will all be a part of our wedding-to-be: beauty, passion, love, family, unity, peace, joy, and, a coming together of true brothers and sisters (children of God), from every tongue, tribe, and nation (a DAY where “love is the way,” because LOVE will be present).
What I saw with my eyes was multiplied a thousand times more in my mind….and even that is just a drop in the bucket, I’m CERTAIN, of the actual upcoming marriage of Heaven’s bride and groom.
It was downright boring, in fact…
Your wedding was a simple fore-shadow of tomorrow’s BETTER DAY.
It is an echo of the true and ultimate marriage-ceremony-to-come; because, what we experience on earth is just a taste of what is waiting for us in eternity…
So, I stopped thinking of you almost from the beginning. You ceased to exist. You were no longer the “stars of the show.”
Your “day” became a day-of-imagining for me: IMAGINING THE INCREDIBLE WONDER of my upcoming wedding…using yours as only a banal image of WHAT WILL BE.
For this, I am sorry…………………………………………………………………………………………………….not sorry.
And, for those who might read this letter of apology, let me challenge you to begin now (!) basking in the GLORY OF WHAT WILL BE!
Don’t worry, or use the excuse, that you might become “so heavenly minded, you’re no earthly good.”
I wouldn’t be concerned…
I found myself charged, motivated, and ready to make a difference creating a mentality of hope for those around me – Christians and non-christian alike.
