A Marriage Bog

by Bob Setzer, Jr.
This Saturday morning at 11:00 a.m., I'll be taking my place at the Bog Garden in my hometown of Greensboro, North Carolina. A "bog" is a marsh that grows out of rich deposits of decaying plant material. This particular bog is a beautiful park nestled in the center of a thriving city.

I'll be taking my place in this bog to officiate at my younger sister's wedding. Some might prefer a sanctuary for such an occasion, but for this wedding, a bog seems perfect. A bog is a living testament to the power of life in the face of decay and death. And promising second marriages, like this one, represent new life rising out of death.

My sister, Linda, married an abusive alcoholic the first time around. He left her with a toddler and a baby on the way. Years of struggle and sadness followed, and not just for Linda, but for her children and the people who held her and them precious, most notably, my parents who lived just around the corner. I still remember my dad sitting on the front porch, baseball bat in hand, waiting for, hoping for my sister's deadbeat "husband" to come around. Fortunately, he never did.

Linda managed to eke out a living and a life for herself and her children, but the demons of depression were ever lurking. Eventually, they had their way with her and she was left to fight a long battle with a disabling illness. But after years of wrestling with her demons--plus treatment, support and her own courageous persistence--Linda emerged from her ordeal like a water lily flowering into life from the dark, lush peat hidden below the surface of the pond.

Linda's not ashamed of her struggle, else I would not speak of it. But with the help of a good church, a gracious God, and some faithful friends, her struggle helped shape and sculpt her into the wise and able woman she is today. Now she works as a volunteer chaplain, offering others "the consolation with which we ourselves are comforted by God" (2 Cor. 1:4).

So yes, it's entirely fitting that Linda's wedding will be held in the bog that has become for her a place of solace and renewal. For a bog takes things that are ugly in themselves and turns them into something beautiful. And with the help of the One who raised Jesus from the dead, that's what God's people do too.

I'm sorry I'll miss a truly special day at the Top of Poplar this Sunday, as our Global Women lead in worship. Our Global Women have heard and believed the promise of Pentecost that God's "sons and daughters shall prophesy!" (Acts 2:17). They have also given wings to some innovative new ministries, such as a computer lab for training and empowering underprivileged women.

Because of Easter and Pentecost, our world is alive with hope. And we say, "Thanks be to God!"