My brother got married last night. He’s the baby.

Ryder carried this cute sign that said “Hey Uncle Dan, here comes your Bride” right before his new Aunt Margaret walked down the aisle to my brother looking like a party.

He also spent the first 20 minutes of the reception dancing and calling himself a tuxedo ninja, naturally.

I wanted to give a toast at the reception, but Richard said not to. Have you ever been to a wedding during which WAY TOO MANY people feel the need to say something dumb in the mic?

One wedding we went to, there were only 2 toasts, but they were each 20 MINUTES! Needless to say, I didn’t want to add to the possible and probably crazy.

BUT, I did have something to say. I texted it to my brother and his new bride that morning.

Here’s what it said:

Happy Wedding day.

I’m praying for both of you this morning. For peace. That you can relax and enjoy. That details won’t matter. That you will feel so celebrated. That your new unit will be strong going forward. That you will know you are supported in all things – both by family that loves you and a God that created you and chases after your hearts. That you won’t chase the fairy tale, but you will experience the fullness of real life.

This prayer is something I will continue to pray over my brother and Margaret.

I pray that they won’t let the details of life matter in a way that pulls them apart, as it easily can.

I pray that they will feel celebrated by each other even, and especially, in failure.

I pray that their unit will be strong, but not on their own strength.

I pray that they will know that the Creator-Redeemer God of the universe is a support to them. That he alone can bring them through the brokenness of this life. I pray that they will rely on those God has placed around them to be a healthy example.

I pray that they won’t get caught up in the expectation of romance and the whirlwind of falling in love. But they will be caught up in experiencing every moment of real, messy, ugly, incredible life together.

Because marriage is not about finding another person to complete you. It’s about finding another person to show you how much you truly need others. How much you truly need God because you are so impossibly broken and only a story as beautiful as the Gospel can complete your heart.

To Dan and Margaret. May you be inspired by creation and the created to seek your God in the building of a life you have never dreamed big enough to imagine.