Sunday Reflection: I caught the bouquet!

My senior year in high school, my older cousin asked me to be a bridesmaid in her wedding. Her sister, about a year older than myself, was also in the wedding. She had a boyfriend. I was dating two guys pretty regularly.

When the bride threw out the bouquet to a singles' group, I caught the bouquet.

If you don’t know about catching the wedding bouquet tradition, let me tell you that catching it signifies that the receiver will be the next bride in the group. That person will marry next! If it were only that easy.

My cousin, the sister of the bride, was miffed that I had caught the bouquet. She told me that I didn’t have a boyfriend and she did and I should have let her catch the bouquet. She also said that she would be married waaay before I did.

I’ve struggled in the past with thinking, why do others seem to get all the good blessings and I don't? Or why can’t I have similar blessings? One day my pastor stated, “Other people do not get your blessings! The life and possessions they have are not your blessings.”

What? Was he talking to me?

Remember as a kid when you said, ‘but my friends all have one’ and your parents replied something like, ‘that doesn’t mean you’re getting one’? It’s kind of the same thing. We don’t get to claim someone else’s blessings.

I promise that God is not tossing out your bouquet to other people. He has blessings waiting just for you. Recognize them and feel blessed! When the voices of the world say that you are nothing without XYZ, it's time to focus on the truth.

"Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice!  Let your gentleness be evident to all. The Lord is near. Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.

Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things. Whatever you have learned or received or heard from me, or seen in me—put it into practice. And the God of peace will be with you." Philippians 4:4-9 NIV

Today, I encourage you to recognize your blessings and also be a blessing.

Oh and by the way, I married one of those young men that I dated. And I did get married before my cousin, but she married soon after I did. It seems that I didn’t catch her bouquet after all.

Blessings!
Teresa

Comments

Smiling. And aren't we lucky to have so many blessings in our lives (when we stop and consider them).
You got the last laugh.
What God gives us is for us alone and it doesn't take away from what He gives to others.
nashvillecats2 said…
Most uplifting to read. Thanks for sharing.

Yvonne.
I'm working harder to count my blessings and think about what I'm grateful for! This is a wonderful reminder.
Pat Hatt said…
haha showed her in the end. True, we have to look and be grateful for what we have and not what others have.
Susan Kane said…
Elizabeth said what I would say. I never caught the bouquet, which was good. I was about 17.

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