Weddings, Spaghetti Water, & Painted Toasters

My favorite memory of us. Her most dreaded. Who knew
"Never Summers" sounds so wintery!?

This weekend I am heading Chicago for a wedding.

To be honest, it was the last thing I wanted to do. I was planning on spending my birthday weekend in Moab, climbing. But as I'm beginning to think about details and packing, I'm getting pretty excited! 

Amanda, one of my dearest friends, is getting married. I smile recalling phone conversations where I've said, "I'm praying for the Lord to bring you a husband." In her quick witted way she'd retort, "Well why would you do that!?" It's been about eight years now and here we are!

Amanda is a city-girl. That's why I posted the backpacking picture. She tries to hide that she ever did such a thing. If someone gets wind of her backpacking adventure out west in the Never Summers she is sure to tell them about how I made her drink leftover spaghetti dishwater while she watched the other instructors letting their group make a sump hole. Oops? Sorry? 

It's incredible our friendship survived that trip. 

One of the things I love most about my sister in Christ is she hears and listens to the Lord even when He asks her to do ridiculous things like climb a mountain and go to the bathroom in the woods or sell jewelry (that story's for another time my friends.)

This was several months after I broke my pelvis. Amanda met me
in the airport on a layover. I haven't seen her since! Side note:
always a good idea to travel through airports with crutches.

When she told me she was not having bridesmaids I was banking on that spirit - the one who hears from God and listens. Because, clearly, He would tell her she was being a nutcase!

Of course, she's sparing me from adding fuel to the ever increasing pun comparing me to 27 Dresses. But hey, at least I'm not being compared to Julia Roberts in Runaway Bride!!

So I blew up her phone with multiple voicemails laying out the reasons which she should have bridesmaids. Here's a couple of my most convincing arguments:

1."Those who stand up with you are also committing themselves to walk alongside you in your marriage. If you choose not to have people stand up with you, well then, I guess we will just have to put earplugs in our ears whenever you have marital ups and downs. Thus you NEED bridesmaids."

2. "You are keeping us, depriving us really, from blessing you. Which in turn, will come back to haunt you because you need the most blessing you can get on your wedding day and in the days to come! Do you REALLY want to CHANCE that??"

Both points are valid, no?

Also, entirely theologically sound.

I almost had her at that last one too.

Alas, while I was great at winning debates back in college, I apparently have lost my edge. It is rather bizarre to go to a wedding and just sit. In the audience. Without anything to do but watch!

Thank goodness she is asking us ladies to arrive early to pray over her! Otherwise, I'm pretty sure a handful of her closest friends would have formed a revolt and kidnapped the preacher until we were at least able to do SOMETHING!

Due to her stubbornness, I decided perhaps I could be equally annoying with my gift for them.  So I went to their wedding registry, found the toaster they put on there, ordered it, opened it, PAINTED it all pretty-like (that way if they get more than one they are SURE to have to keep mine,) put it back in the box, wrapped it up, and will be anxiously awaiting their call thanking me for their one-of-a-kind toaster!

KIDDING! But now that I thought of that, perhaps someday. The next friend who invites me to your wedding without giving me something to do....watch out.

Okay, back to being serious...

It really is so COOL to watch how things unfold in people's lives. Months ago my friend was dating the wrong man for a hot second (thank the Lord she found out quickly!) Now, here she is less than a year later, marrying Mr. Right-For-Her.

I've yet to meet him, which is lucky for him because I'm going to have to ask him my favorite question to ask my friend's finance's AFTER he's married instead of before. If he doesn't answer well....I can do nothing about it. Shoot.

The question? "What do you think of adoption?"

It's a perfect question, no?? I mean, it gets to the root of:
1. Who he knows himself to be in Christ.
2. His theology.

Usually this leads to nice long chats. Sometimes with the bride-to-be and the groom-to-be and sometimes one on one. I'm pretty sure they love me more because of this question.

It's highly entertaining to watch the nonverbals immediately after the question is asked. Perhaps I'll ask him while going through the receiving line...that could be fun!

Anyway, since I didn't think of the super cool painted toaster idea until just now, I painted them an actual painting.

It's an abstract depiction of "two becoming one." Can you see it? (It's okay if you don't. My dad usually just says, "Well Heather, it looks like one of your paintings." Awe Dad you're too kind.)

It turned out nothing like I imagined it to and I'm not sure if that's a good or bad thing! But I know she'll like it because she's already stolen two of my other paintings!

Since I don't know the groom though....maybe I should go out and get a toaster for my back-up plan?