Do you know someone who’s getting married? Are they torn about the life-altering decision of whether to have lillies or daffodils in the bouquet? Is the bride losing sleep and waking up with night sweats about whether her dress should be white, off-white, cream, ivory, or eggshell? Will the groom go ballistic if the guests aren’t seated just right at the reception?

Then tell them to chill out. If their marriage lasts, no one is going to sit down with them in 20 years and say, “Your marriage has lasted so long. You must have had a perfect wedding!” In fact, 5 years from now–nah, 5 months from now–no one will even remember the wedding. It’s all just a bunch of fluff. I dare say, whatever happens at your wedding, it will not even compare to what happened to these friends of Richard Wurmbrand, that he writes about in Tortured For Christ:

One of our workers in the Underground Church was a young girl. The Communist police discovered that she secretly spread Gospels and taught children about Christ. They decided to arrest her. But to make the arrest as agonizing and painful as they could, they decided to delay her arrest a few weeks, until the day she was to be married. On her wedding day, the girl was dressed as a bride—the most wonderful, joyous day in a girl’s life! Suddenly, the door burst open and the secret police rushed in.

When the bride saw the secret police, she held out her arms toward them to be handcuffed. They roughly put the manacles on her wrists. She looked toward her beloved, then kissed the chains and said, “I thank my heavenly Bridegroom for this jewel He has presented to me on my marriage day. I thank Him that I am worthy to suffer for Him.” She was dragged off, with weeping Christians and a weeping bridegroom left be­hind. They knew what happens to young Chris­tian girls in the hands of Communist guards. Her bridegroom faithfully waited for her. After five years she was released—a destroyed, broken woman, looking thirty years older. She said it was the least she could do for her Christ.

So, still stressed over flowers and dresses?