I was talking with a friend yesterday about how awkward and horrible weddings can be for any number of reasons, not so much thinking of Erika's wedding, because that one will be wonderful. But as an introvert, weddings often fill me with great fear. Fear of who I'm going to be assigned to sit with at a table for three hours, fear of being forced to get up and dance in front of people if I don't willingly want to, fear of having to talk to people who otherwise annoy the snot out of me, and usually those people end up being the people I've been assigned to sit with for three hours. All very Christ-like approaches to celebrating the primary way God has chosen to illustrate His love relationship with us.
Erika let me pick my tablemates for her wedding, kind of like a birthday present. So if you end up sitting at my table tomorrow, know that you were handpicked to sit there. And if you are not sitting at my table, please still be my friend. I couldn't pick everyone, although I tried. Not really, because that's not an introvert's way, but I said it to make you feel better and not hate me.
So this friend I was talking to yesterday, who is sitting at my table, and I were talking about good strategies for how to deal with people you don't want to talk to at weddings who seek you out to talk to you.
I suggested that if that happens to us tomorrow, I will jump up from the table in my bridesmaid dress, grab a concealed weapon that's on someone else sitting at the table (knowing the people at my table, it's 99.9% certain that there will be at least one concealed weapon at the table. I told you I handpicked who is sitting there...), do a backflip through the air and then shoot them, Jack Bauer style, in the kneecaps as they approach. Sort of like a scene from Kill Bill, which is what every bride dreams her wedding reception will turn into.
It would make for an awesome blog post on June 3, that's for sure. But I would have to change the name of my blog to BecauseErikahasbannedmefromeverspeakingtoheragainandnowI'minjail.blogspot.com
That's too much of a hassle for me, so I'll just play it cool tomorrow.
But being a bridesmaid on my birthday has solved my other introvert dilemma, which is how to deal with the perpetual question I get asked this time of year, "What do you want to do for your birthday?" I hate this question. HATE it. I don't know what I want to do two hours from now, let alone on my birthday. And when I do decide to do things on any other day, I voluntarily pick things I can do alone or with one or two other trusted friends. I don't normally devise ways to spend as much time as possible with as many people as possible where I am the center of attention, so why would I all of a sudden think that doing that on June 2 is a good idea?
Here's what I think birthdays should be about. It should be about letting the person know why you are grateful that God chose to give them life and then thanking God for creating them and asking Him to continue to use their life in your life and in the world until the day He chooses to not give them breath anymore.
God is the giver of life and the one who carefully knits together each life in the womb. Every person who is on this earth today has been handpicked to be here by God.
So if you want to "do" something with me tomorrow for my birthday/Erika's wedding, that is what you can do.
For you created my inmost being;
you knit me together in my mother's womb.
I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made;
your works are wonderful, I know that full well.
My frame was not hidden from you
when I was made in the secret place,
when I was woven together in the depths of the earth.
Your eyes saw my unformed body;
all the days ordained for me
were written in your book before one of them came to be.
Psalm 139:13-16
By the way, I am taking submissions now for next year's June 2 wedding that I can be a bridesmaid in. Don't worry - I won't shoot anyone in the knee caps at your wedding either.
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