Why Nothing Is ‘Normal after Your Wedding

We had so much fun snapping photos of us as newlyweds.

After our honeymoon, it was difficult for me to get back into my routine.

Most days, I wake up around 10, tend to my yellow Lab, have my coffee and read that day’s Beth Moore devotion, then suck down some water and head outside for a long, tough walk.

The Louisiana heat kills me so I generally have to “recover” for about an hour when I get back, alternating gulps of water with stretching and deep breathing to relax. A cool shower, a kiss for the husband and a pat for the dog, and I’m out the door, back to grinding out news articles until 11 p.m.

For some reason, everything I came back to seemed foreign, from the staircase to our apartment, to the algae smeared creek slithering beside it, to the busy road and bad intersection running out front. It was a strange feeling, gone only 10 days but somehow so far removed from the humdrum we’d left.

I didn’t expect a simple ceremony to change my world, but it really did.

My first day back at work, a colleague from Texarkana called into my line. I told him I’d just returned from getting married and he grinned, his eyes sparkling. Well, at least that’s what it sounded like over the phone lines.

He told me how much he loved and valued the institution of marriage and asked me what my married name is. I glanced down and noticed the message on my jeans — “I love Brent” was embroidered on that particular pair. I smiled, thanked Fred, and said, “I love him so much. He’s such a great blessing.”

Each day that goes by, nothing can compare to that moment when Brent held my hand and answered Rev. Kim Broadstreet with, “I do.” That ultimate commitment is really the point of marriage. It, however imperfectly, reflects the supreme loyalty God has for us.

I was never a complete pariah growing up, but I wasn’t exactly always picked first during each gym class. I have a distinct memory of the 6th grade — history class — where we had groups of desks instead of rows. I got to sit with my my friends, the popular girls, every third day. There were a few other outsiders who I rotated that seat with.

I’ve always wanted to be accepted without having to prove myself worthy. I found that great validation in Christ, and He reveals it to me each moment I remember my sweet husband’s words on our wedding day.

So maybe feeling like I’m walking on clouds through regular old life isn’t all that strange after all.