I’m not one for large crowds or detailed planning, but since Indian weddings are massive by nature, I had to just smile and go with it.  So, with a yellow pages phone book in hand, and a guest list of about eight hundred, the planning began (keep in mind, this was before the internet).

There were lots of decisions to be made and even more details to be ironed out.  Throughout the planning process, it was easy to get distracted and lose sight of what the day was all about.

In 1 Kings, we read about the planning of another major project, the construction of God’s temple. And King Solomon was the man God appointed to the task.

Interior walls lined with cedar boards, planks of pine covering the floor, pure gold covering the inside of the temple, doors made of olive wood for the entrance of the inner sanctuary….every inch of the temple was filled with detail.

And when the work was finally done, Solomon summoned the priests to bring up the ark of the Lord to its place in the inner sanctuary.  

‘When the priest withdrew from the Holy Place, the cloud filled the temple of the Lord. And the priests could not perform their service because of the cloud, for the glory of the Lord filled his temple.’

I wonder if at this point, Solomon breathed a sigh of relief. 

Seven years of hard work would have been in vain if God failed to show up. And boy, did He show up.  Scripture tells us, God’s presence was so thick, the priests had to literally stop what they were doing. How awesome that must have been!

The Psalmist says, ‘Unless the Lord builds a house, it’s builders labor and toil in vain.’ Moses said, ‘Lord, I’m not going, unless you go with me.’

In other words, we can do it all…we can build the most magnificent buildings, we can put together the most beautiful weddings, every detail in place….but at the end of the day, God’s presence is all that really matters. 

Needless to say, after about ten months of planning, my wedding day came and went.  Not everything went exactly like I had planned…it started late, my hair went flat and the chicken wasn’t as tasty as it was during the taste testing…but that’s okay. My husband and I were married….and God was there. Mission accomplished.

Father, whether we are planning an event or simply planning out our day…may we be so keenly aware of Your presence that we, like the priests, stop and acknowledge that you are with us.

-Binu