A bitter-sweet occasion

Remember me telling you about Steve and Rachel? They’re the young couple who rang me last month to book a wedding and baptism combined, at very short notice because Rachel is terminally ill.

The service is scheduled for tomorrow, so I went to see the young couple again this week, just to go over the final details. Rachel is now feeling very ill and suffering from severe headaches and sickness, but we sorted out the service just as they wanted it.

This morning I had an early – and urgent – phone call from Steve. Rachel was feeling so unwell that he asked if we could we bring the wedding forward to today, with just his parents and her parents, instead of tomorrow with all the guests.

“Yes,” I said, “I’ll come to your house this morning and conduct the ceremony.”

That’s when the problems started. Paul (the rector) rang the archdeacon to see whether that was OK. The archdeacon told him to ring the legal eagle, who said no, it wasn’t OK at all. To do that, I would need to get a special licence. So Paul rang the registrar, only to find that there was an answer phone message saying the registrar was unavailable, but no means of leaving your own message or getting in touch with him.

In the end, Steve and Rachel came to the church with little Sam and both sets of parents. We had a quiet, but intensely moving service, especially the bit where they promise to love each other “In sickness and in health” and “‘Til death do us part.” That was very hard to say, and hear, and very emotional. We all had tears at that point. Rachel – who is amazing – helped us all through it by reading the words without faltering, and Steve – who is equally amazing – managed to say the words with a smile of love on his face.

The the couple said their own special words to each other, spoken from the bottom of their hearts. They said how they had fallen in love at first sight and would love each other for ever. And Rachel added her thanks, for all that Steve does for her.

A fantastic couple, full of courage and overflowing with love.

Life can be so cruel, but tomorrow is the baptism with thirty or so guests,so hopefully a joyful occasion.

We need your prayers, please.