Spoken word by the spiritual poet

A friend of mine asked if I could write a thought to read at her mom’s wedding, because she didn’t want to grab some generic off-the-shelf poetry for the occasion.  As her mom is getting remarried and she’s having ambivalent feelings about letting go of the one she loves.

“Let Go Of The One You Love“

Mom, here we are raptured in this magnificent, radiant, glorious and sacred space of holy matrimony, ordained by God, the eternal hallmark of holiness.  It was in this sacred space 22 years ago, you loved me enough to let me go to become one in mind, one in spirit and one in body and bone with my beau, betrothed and beloved life and time.  I did not realize the faith required to let go of the one you love.  I can only imagine, as you gave me breath in the womb when I could not breathe.  You fed me food in the womb when I could not eat.  As a daughter of Eve, the life-giver, you gave me life in the womb when I could not live.  And as a woman who is highly favored, you birthed me alive and beheld your firstborn woman-child who is fearfully and wonderfully made by the light of all life.  I am truly forever grateful for your unconditional, provisional and protective love that dwells richly within me to this day.  The love that bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things and endures all things is with me.  The love that never fails.

Now, I behold the living matriarch, aged in magnificent beauty, aged in royal radiance and aged in awe-inspiring glorious splendor that can only be found in the sacred space of holy matrimony.  She is engaging me, she is seeking me and she is searching all of me and through eyes of faith, she confirms and affirm I, too, can let go of the one you love.  I paused and trembled with great hesitation in fear of the unknown, fear of the unseen and fear of the unchartered frontier of this marvelous majestic matrimony in the making.  But fear faded instantly in the face of faith, who recalled to mind, the God who sees all things, the God who hears all things, the God who knows all things and the God who comes down to dwell with us through all things is in me, in her and in us–Immanuel is his name.  The God who bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things and endures all things is with you. The God who never fails.

Therefore, I let you go and I stand with you and agree with you as I believe in the God of your holy matrimony.  May the Lord of light and the Lord of all life accept our fragrant prayers into the holy of holies, your dwelling place.  May his faithful love and favor forever fall afresh on you anew.  And may the Word of God always dwell in your mouths, hearts and home throughout your golden days and golden years.  Finally, may my thought and prayer bear as witness and testimony today in the presence of family and friends that I, too, am able to let go of the one you love.