Yana & Rares' Wedding

It still feels a little surreal to see Rares as a married man.

There was a season when he had been single for quite a while. During those years, he often came over to our place for hotpot dinners, game nights, and countless evenings spent simply talking and sharing life. Our home was always open to him, and over time he became much more than a friend—he became family.

That is why seeing him stand at the altar, marrying the woman he loves, filled our hearts with so much joy. We have prayed for this day, and it was beautiful to witness God bringing two people together in His perfect timing.

May God grant Yana and Rares many blessed years together.

Last month, they celebrated the first part of their Orthodox betrothal, and this month they completed the second part with the crowning ceremony. It made me smile when I realized we shared the same wedding crowns. What a sweet little coincidence! 😊

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To be honest, though, this wedding day was a bit of an emotional roller coaster for me.

The two nights before the wedding had already been exhausting. One night was spent picking up a friend from the airport. The next day, we drove all the way to Orillia and then to Jimmy O. Yang's stand-up show, making it a full day out. I had slept only five or six hours each night, and by the wedding morning I was already running on empty.

Then came the coffee.

Hubby accidentally spilled coffee all over his Brooks Brothers shirt and the beige blazer that Mama had bought for him. I know accidents happen, but in that moment I couldn't help thinking it could have been avoided. My frustration quickly grew.

Then came the cigarette.

Then the joking that felt more like mocking. 

And finally... his wedding ring went missing.

Three incidents in one day.

Sigh.

Looking back, I realize those events were only sparks. The real fire was already inside my heart.

I prayed afterwards:

Lord, remind me that anger is fertile ground for the enemy. It feeds resentment and slowly hardens my little heart. Do not let bitterness take root in me.

Sadly, after the wedding celebration, things became so difficult between us that I ended up sleeping in my car for two nights.

Sometimes I ask myself difficult questions.

What if one day both of us become so tired that we simply want to walk away?

What if we both decide we've had enough?

A marriage that is supposed to be God-centred can so easily become self-centred. Instead of looking to Christ, we begin looking only at ourselves—our hurt, our emotions, our disappointments, our unmet expectations.

As human beings, giving up often feels easier than persevering. 

That is exactly why we need Him.

We need His forgiveness when ours runs out.

We need His loyalty when ours feels weak.

We need His love when ours feels conditional.

We need His patience when ours disappears.

We need His strength to keep choosing one another, even on the difficult days.

Marriage is sacred.

Marriage is holy.

Yet I so often forget that truth whenever anger clouds my eyes and my mind.

Lord, please remain at the centre of our marriage, even when we fail to keep You there ourselves.

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