Father's Day Post on My Dream Wedding

I held his hand tightly and asked him to pray with me.  I prayed allowed so he could follow in his mind even though he could no longer talk.  I can see the tears rolling down his face as he looked at me and held my hand with whatever strength that was left in him. 


We were on our way then to the hospital.  My father has just suffered his first majot stroke.  Thank God that I was there by his side.  Thank God for the miracles He gave us from the very first time it happened to the fifth time my father had a stroke.


One of the things I dreamed of happening on my wedding day was to walk down the aisle with my father towards my bridegroom.  I dreamed of dancing with him as well during my wedding reception.  This dream may seem small or trivial to some but to me this has become a big dream, especially when my father suffered from stroke several times years before I even had a boyfriend.  


Then, just before my wedding day, he had high blood pressure again and we had to rush him with the help of my fiance to the hospital.  On my wedding day, I requested a doctor friend of mine to check his blood pressure (before the bridal march and after the ceremony) to make sure he is alright since I know that he could become emotional during the ceremony.  Moreover, we decided that he will just wait at the middle of the aisle and just walk half of the church aisle's length with me and my mom for the aisle is quite long.  Tatay had difficulty walking since he suffered his first major stroke.  He can walk but very slowly and he easily gets tired.

Walking towards my parents who were waiting at the middle of the aisle.

I thank the Lord for granting me my wish and fulfilling this important detail in my dream wedding.  I thank God that I was able to walk down the aisle with Tatay towards the man I have chosen to share the rest of my life with.  I thank God that He let my father live long enough so he could give me away on my wedding day.  I thank God that I was able to dance with my father during my wedding reception.  I thank God that my father is still alive today as we celebrate another Father's Day.

Walking happily with my parents towards a new phase in my life.

Tatay started crying as I started to say goodbye to them.

Thank you, Tatay, for all that you've done for me.

George puts his arm around my father's shoulders to comfort him.

So, today as the world celebrates Father's Day, I honor not only my Tatay but God the Father as well for fulfilling this child's wish for her wedding day. Thank you very much, heavenly Father! You are simply the best Father one can ever have!

Tatay and me dancing at my wedding reception.

My Dream Bridal March

We just had a prayer meeting for the different branches of our community for single professionals when my good friend, MM, approached me and shared with me a song which she said she envisioned for my wedding march.  The song she had in mind was When You Believe from the movie Prince of Egypt.  My heart leaped as soon as she said those words.  I know the song and I love it!  But when she said that she felt it would be an apt wedding march for me, I felt like I have found my heart’s song.

I think I was in my mid to late 20’s then; not yet engaged and never had a boyfriend.  I felt that it was God who moved my friend to share that song and that vision for my future. 

Let me give you a short background about myself so you’d understand where I’m coming from.

There was a point in my life when I considered and wanted so much to be a Carmelite nun. I went through a period of discernment and for years I didn’t entertain the thought of marriage.  I didn’t entertain suitors.  For a number of years, my mind and heart was set to marrying Jesus and becoming a religious.

During the course of my state of life discernment, however, God led me to discover my fear about getting married.  He helped me face the painful truth that I was afraid to marry the wrong person and be miserable for the rest of my life.  I was afraid that I would marry a man who will not understand my love for God and who will not support the things that I’d choose to do to live out my faith.  I considered my faith and my relationship with God my greatest treasure and I was afraid to risk it.

The great thing about going through a state of life discernment is that you not only discover your state of life vocation; but you discover many things about yourself as well.  I’m glad I went through the process.  

God dispelled my fears with His words and promises.  He promised to help me find a godly helpmate who will support me in my faith walk.  He promised to send someone who will allow me to experience His love in the Sacrament of Matrimony.  He even helped me come up with a list of qualities to use as guide in choosing who my future life partner will be.

The challenge was that I needed to wait for a number of years before God’s promise to me was fulfilled.  Looking back now, I could see and understand God’s purpose.  But during that time when I was still single and unattached and almost thirty years old, waiting was not an easy thing to do.  And God used the song When You Believe to inspire me to keep on believing and to keep on waiting until the miracle He promised me is fulfilled.  The inspiration did not stop in the song itself.  The passage or story in the Bible from the book of Exodus, which was the basis for this song, taught me powerful insights and lessons, too.  So every time I was going through something difficult or painful, I would read the passage again and again and sing this song repeatedly.

This song gave me courage and hope.  It was instrumental in helping me endure the wait for my promised bridegroom.  This song strengthened by faith.  It helped me to believe even at the most disappointing and painful times of my life. 

Below is a video clip from the movie where the song was sung with the original lyrics.

So inspired by the message of this song, I imagined myself to be walking triumphantly towards my bridegroom to the music of this song played by a violin or a string quartet.  I imagined myself to be so happy as I walk down the aisle because God has fulfilled His promise to me.  I imagined my miracle waiting for me at the end of the aisle, near the altar, smiling as he waits eagerly to hold my hand and to be my husband.

 

Moreover, I imagined my wedding ceremony to commence before the sun sets.  The doors of the church will be closed while I stand and wait for my turn to walk.  When the doors finally open, all those in attendance will see a beautiful and blissful bride walking on the red carpet.  The church aisle will be decorated with pink and purple flowers on each side.  The opening of doors is parallel to the parting of the Red Sea and walking down the aisle to my promised bridegroom is like the experience of the Israelites walking on dry land in the middle of the Red Sea towards the Promised Land.    

The color of the sky during our wedding, pink and purple,
just like our color motif. :)

I just learned today as I searched for a video for this post what the Hebrew words in the song mean. A Hebrew made a comment on one of the videos posted in You Tube and translated it.  This is what he said.

Ashira el Adonay ki ga'o ga' (I will sing to the lord for he has triumphed gloriusly) x2

Mi cha-mo-cha baelim, Adonay (Who is like you my lord, among the gods?)

Mi kamocha ne'hedar bakodesh (Who is like you glorious in holiness?)

Nachita bechas-decha, a'm zu ga'alta (In your mercy you led the people who you have redeemed) x2

Mashi'yach x3 (Messiah!)

All of this just repeat's only faster...

Amazing!  This song continues to bless me to this day!  I didn’t know what that portion of the meant prior to writing this post.  Now, I’m more convinced that I made the right decision to choose this song for my wedding march.

 

For as I have imagined it to happen, the miracle I prayed and hoped for was given to me on December 19, 2012.  

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And the doors opened at the appointed time...

And I walked triumphantly after years of waiting.

Stepping into a new adventure.

The blissful bride with eyes set on her miracle.

My bridegroom waiting at the altar.

Below is the modified version of the lyrics for commercial release.  This version was sung by Whitney Houston and Mariah Carey at the end of the movie.  Here’s the link to a video where the two singers sang this song.

When You Believe 

Composed by Stephen Schwartz and Kenneth Babyface Edmonds
Performed by Whitney Houston and Mariah Carey
Sound track of the Movie Prince of Egypt


Many nights we prayed
With no proof anyone could hear
In our hearts a hopeful song
We barely understood


Now we are not afraid
Although we know there’s much to fear
We were moving mountains long
Before we knew we could


There can be miracles
When you believe
Though hope is frail
It’s hard to kill


Who knows what miracles
You can achieve
When you believe
Somehow you will
You will when you believe


In this time of fear
When prayer so often proved in vain
Hope seemed like the summer birds
Too swiftly flown away


And now I’m standing here
My heart’s so full, I can’t explain
Seeking faith and speaking words
I never thought I’d say


There can be miracles
When you believe
Though hope is frail
It’s hard to kill


Who knows what miracles
You can achieve
When you believe
Somehow you will
You will when you believe


They don’t always happen when you ask
And it’s easy to give in to your fear, ohh
But when you’re blinded by your pain
Can’t see your way safe through the rain
Thought of a still resilient voice
Says love is very near


There can be miracles
When you believe
Though hope is frail
It’s hard to kill


Who knows what miracles
You can achieve
When you believe
Somehow you will, how you will
You will when you believe


You will when you believe
Just believe
You will when you believe
Just believe
You will when you believe