Down The Aisle

In my 29 years of ministry I've officiated a lot of weddings. I stopped counting at 100 several years ago. There's very little about weddings that catch me by surprise. But the wedding on August 1st was completely different. This time I got to walk down the aisle. On my arm was a beautiful, radiant girl that had grown and matured right before my eyes. Your perspective on a wedding changes when you're the father of the bride.

Lindsey was glowing. Nolan, my new son-in-law, is a terrific guy. He was smiling ear to ear during our long, slow stroll toward him. I'll admit, there were a few times I'd thought about making a mad dash. The best years of my life have been spent surrounded by a family of four lovely girls. Why would I give that up? If I could have dragged Lindsey back to those years when she was an adorable 4-year-old, I may have done it. But I couldn't. And there was no denying the love Lindsey and Nolan now share.

So I walked down that aisle, fully aware nobody was looking at me. My girls have had a challenging life in the spotlight created by my job. It wasn't always fun or fair for them. For once, this was all about Lindsey -- her moment -- and she couldn't have been more prepared. She looked lovely, and all those gathered knew there was an even more remarkable depth and beauty on the inside.

Everyone expected I would be a mess. When it comes to my girls, I'm a real softy. So they were taking bets on how quickly I'd lose it. To even my surprise, I wasn't emotional at all walking that aisle. In fact, I couldn't wipe the smile off my face.

Seconds before we rounded the corner, I told Lindsey how proud I was to be her dad and asked if she was ready. She didn't have to say anything. No doubts. No fear. Just a big, "I can't wait!" I could see in her eyes this was exactly what she'd been dreaming and praying and planning and waiting for. Not just a fairytale ceremony, but a partner worth sharing her life with.

I suppose I could be sad about being "replaced," but I have a suspicion there will always be room in Lindsey's heart for her dad. All I know is it felt good -- no GREAT -- sharing her joy. I was thrilled and honored to give her away.

And now... the adventure begins.