When Saturday finally rolled around, it was clear that it was going to be Arian’s day. Despite the horrible weather with tornadoes, violent winds, the unusual cold, Saturday turned out to be gorgeous. On Friday night at the rehearsal, we were all questioning the decision of an outdoor wedding, but when the sun came up Saturday, there wasn’t a cloud in the sky. It was going to be a good day.
I met Arian back in 2006 at Pine Cove, and she was one of those people that I just wanted to be around. I don’t normally go for the high pitched squeals and huge displays of excitement, but I can’t help but smile when I hear Arian’s. By the end of the summer, we had become good enough friends where I knew all about Tommy (now her husband) despite never having met him. She told me we would be best friends. I never expected to be standing beside him in their wedding five years later. My friendship with Tommy and Arian has been defined by distance, but I don’t think anyone else would guess that.
One of my favorite parts about Arian is her Persian heritage. That is one culture that really intrigues me, and since Arian’s family migrated here around 30 years ago, there is still a ton of Persian traditions in the family. Needless to say, the reception was quite the party. Unfortunately for Arian, coupled with the Persian background comes the traditional Muslim and Islamic background as well. Ever since I’ve known Arian, her family has been at the forefront of her prayer requests. Becoming a Christian in a Persian culture isn’t the easiest thing to do as an individual because you very often have to leave your family behind. While Arian is still blessed with the love and support of her family, it’s extremely hard to have such conflicting beliefs.
When I read through the agenda for the wedding, I saw some of the Persian customs listed and explained. None of the traditional Christian customs such as communion or corporate prayer were listed, but when I saw our boss from Pine Cove, Lance Sisco, was officiating the wedding, I knew Jesus would definitely be involved. The Persian customs were witnessed and respected, as were the Scriptures and references to the Gospel of Jesus. I know that Arian’s family has been a huge burden on her heart ever since she became a Christian, so it was a blessing to watch them and pray for them as Lance read the Bible and spoke on how God was the foundation for this marriage.
It has to be hard to be on such opposite ends of the spectrum with family members and something this big. Christianity isn’t just a demographic check mark for Arian, it’s the guiding light for her life. Her family doesn’t use that same light, so it can’t be easy to try and explain why she chooses to do the things she does. However, she knows she can’t shy away because of that and just has to continue to pray for understanding from her family and strength for herself. Those are prayers that have to be answered daily.
Despite any differences of opinion that may be somewhere beneath the surface, this Saturday was beautiful, and Arian had her day. It was a blessing to celebrate with my good friends and know that while this wedding day was a great celebration, there are more incredible things yet to come that will be a cause for even greater celebration.
