Nine years ago today I married my wife. I read this at our wedding, and it still applies. Love you, Natasha.
I see you now just as I always have:
A woman garbed in white, my Beautiful:
Your hair’s a crown of fire around the sun
Of the face that holds the mysteries of self;
Your eyes are dancing laughter on the sea
Where I shall play and dive and maybe drown;
Your lips are springs of joy overflowing,
Undrunk by any man—that I should stand
Before you now and be the first to drink!
I love you now as I desire to love.
How great is God’s unbroken sovereignty
That I might know the one whom he foreknew:
You, Natasha, who are my chosen bride!
If you ever fall, I will raise you up;
If you ever weep, let me also cry;
If you ever laugh, dance with me and sing
For I am fully yours as you are mine.
And although beauty fades and darkness comes
As Time heaps sand on sand, still God is good;
And He whose Bride we are forevermore
Gives you, my greatest gift, most graciously,
And I, full of joy and speech failing,
Can only take your hand and say, ‘Amen.’
If God, who gave His only Son and now
His blameless daughter, too — O, wondrous burden
And dreadful joy! — I look into your face,
My dearest girl, and see that God is love.