Whither Thou Goest…

By Barbara Cagle Ray

The Spirit that breathed in Eden’s beauty
Still lingers silently with us today.
When God brought Eve into Adam’s life,
He gave the world’s first bride away.

Years later, so remote from Eden’s gate,
This special day has been set apart,
To join two people hand in hand,
As their love binds them heart to heart.

This is the first day of the rest of their lives;
May they make of each moment a sweet memory.
Forever after, with their hearts entwined,
Two lives are made one, by love’s decree.

The words spoken today shall be recalled
When the wedding vows are no longer new.
May the two words they remember most,
Be the simple, heartfelt words, “I do”.

From the Book of Ruth, I quote the words,
That have touched this world for centuries.
May they fall softly on receptive hearts,
And brighten their lives like autumn leaves:

“For whither thou goest, I will go;
And where thou lodgest, I will lodge:
Thy people shall be my people,
And thy God, my God.

 - via Magnolia Messenger, a publication of the South Huntington St. Church of Christ in Kosciusko, MS; Summer, 2014; p 23.