Day 45-by Elaine H. Baldwin

I guess it might be bad luck to admit that I am having wedding nightmares. Well, they’re not really nightmares with zombies or falling and never landing kind of thing. But they aren’t pleasant dreams either. They’re actually pretty funny; comical even. And without exception the theme of each of these comical nightmares is determined by whatever wedding topic Valerie and I talk about that day.

Example #1: Valerie and I talk about what vehicles are needed the day of the wedding for photo shoot, ceremony and reception. That night I have a dream that includes Valerie driving one of the cars and her dress gets caught in the gas pedal. (The real Valerie didn’t think that one was very funny and I’m sure her dress designer won’t either when she reads this.) Another part of the dream included the groom, Zack, pushing a vintage car into the church parking lot with all eight bridesmaids stuffed inside. There was more, but thankfully I don’t remember anything else.

Example #2: Valerie and I talk about how her precious pup, Joey, will be part of the wedding ceremony (gonna be really cute by the way) and that night I have a hilarious dream about every animal I’ve ever had (even as a kid) participating in the wedding in the most bizarre fashions. Think Under Dog (if you’re old enough) walks down the aisle with Tweety Bird. Though I’ve never had a bird, so not sure where that came into the dream except I hate the old thriller movie, “The Birds”, which really does give me nightmares.

Example #3: Valerie and I talk about food for the reception and every food commercial I’ve ever seen shows up in my dreams that night. Yes, all wedding guests should be thankful we will not be serving Cheerios mixed with red Jello and Gummy Bear soup.

And just one more…

Example #4: We spent Christmas holidays with our kids in Arkansas and, of course, did a lot wedding stuff while we were there. You will just have to put on the biggest imagination cap you have to even get a glimpse of the crazy kaleidoscope dreams I experienced. Most were funny weird and harmless. But the last one, the one I had just before I woke up wasn’t funny at all. I was on my way to the ceremony and found myself alone and surrounded by shattered glass; yards and yards of it. I was barefoot with no phone, no money and no way to get to the church. I missed my daughter’s wedding.

I remember waking up from that dream sweating and groggy which is not normal for me. I am a jump out of bed disgustingly alert morning person. But that morning I just laid in bed trying to sort out this nightmare and what was real and what wasn’t. Of course none of it was real, it was just all the dangling pieces of the planning laying at my feet and nothing I could do in and of myself would get me to Valerie’s wedding day; not in the dream.

Guess what? Nothing I do from this day #45 until day #1 will guarantee that I will be at Valerie’s wedding. Only God’s grace and mercy and perfect plan will make that happen. And that gives me comfort because I know I have every intention of being there for the whole glorious week of the wedding, actually, and only God’s divine intervention will keep me from it. And if that is His plan, then all glory to Him.

I’m not being morbid, I don’t think that is His plan at all. But it is a good reminder to hold all our plans, even a wedding, in an open palm and let God be God with every aspect of our lives.

To whom then will you liken Me
That I would be his equal?” says the Holy One. Lift up your eyes on high
And see who has created these stars,
The One who leads forth their host by number,
He calls them all by name;
Because of the greatness of His might and the strength of His power,
Not one of them is missing.
Isaiah 40:25-26