The Wedding

Several have asked about the wedding, it was great! I have also had several questions about what it felt like to give your daughter away in marriage. For those of you who don’t know what happened, our daughter, Alisha, and Darren Free were married last week at Sunny Hills Church of Christ in Fullerton, California, where I preached for over twelve years before moving to work with the McKnight Road Church in St. Louis. It was a privilege to officiate the service with the father of the groom, Dr. John Free, one of the Elders in the church. I walked Alisha down the aisle as her father and John asked, “Who presents Alisha as the bride?” I think he was trying to make it easier for me to not have to answer to, “Who gives away this young woman in marriage?” My answer, that Vicki and I had rehearsed together, was, “Her mother and I do, with our blessing, in the name of the Father, Son and Holy Spirit.” After giving this answer, I kissed her cheek and joined their hands and took my position with John on the stage to co-officiate the wedding.

When it came my turn to speak to Darren, I tried to give him a little scare by telling him that I had prepared a different longer poetic version of an answer to his dad’s question which I now wanted to read. Of course, I had to pause and let him think about it before I read the following poem I had written for the occasion:

Giving Away the Bride

I looked forward, with some reservation,

To the day of her glorious celebration.

When she in her beauty, all dressed in white

Before God, family and friends comes into sight

We would walk down that carpeted aisle

And I would have tears to go with a big smile,

And say, “Her mother and I do.”

Yet there is in this dream, hesitation,

At that moment of her long anticipation.

For this will now end Poppy’s prayerful wait

For the Christlike man God brings as her lifelong mate

As dad, the Heavenly Father to help her know

And in example her future husband show,

And say, “May God to him guide you.”

Passing your hand off to his loving care,

I will, with your mother, be persistent to share,

In the life that with God we helped to build,

And with loving prayer for you our hearts will be filled.

Now, he is the strong man by your side,

Pointing to God, and in whom you will confide

And say, “God make one from the two.”

David Bearden