The Pure Bride

What is a pure bride? My mom and I were talking about this today. One of my dreams is to walk down the aisle someday, a pure bride, radiant and joyful, toward my beloved. But I had to ask myself, what is a pure bride? It goes deeper than the wedding day. One person can walk down the aisle a pure bride, while another, as a wilted creature.

A Pure Bride blooms for her husband.

I know a sad story about a girl who bloomed early. At 11 and 12 years old she was the belle of the ball. She had a trail of boys just crazy about her. She was fun and cute, and of course, had lots of drama-queen-ish stuff in her life. Not long ago I saw this same girl again at Wal-Mart. I didn't get a chance to talk to her, but what I saw saddened me. This young girl, (she was probably 15 or 16 by then) who had been so full of life, had wilted. When a flower blooms early, it wilts early. This is what happened to this young lady, she bloomed early. She looked worn and tired. Like a wilted lily, still beautiful, but so broken.

"'Papa,' said Mary one day, 'I'm as old as Bessie Wilson; I am in a higher class in school; and I am as tall as she is, yet I am not allowed to do the things she does, but have to look and act like a child. When are you going to let me grow up?'
'Mary, do you remember that lily that blossomed here in the window so early this spring?'
'Yes, but it is dead now. It seemed to give its whole strenght to make than one blossom. It looked pretty then, but really those that blossomed later at the proper time were prettier,' said Mary.
'That is just what I wanted you to remember. That lily was pretty, but it was forced along too fast, blossomed before its time, and died. That is the way with many girls. They blossom before their time. I want my daughter to come to her full, mature beauty.'
'Do you mean that Bessie is blossoming too young?' asked Mary.
'When you come to the fullness of your youth, when you are like a rose in full bloom, poor Bessie will already be fading.'"

- Beautiful Girlhood, by M. Hale

The Pure bride is under her father's protection.

When a daughter moves form under her father's protection (either physically or emotionally) she becomes hard, because the weight of the world is on her shoulders. We don't realize how much our father's take, they take the hardships so that we won't become coarse and hard. A pure bride is gentle, and un-tainted by the world.

A Pure Bride saved her heart for her husband.

She didn't give her heart away frivolously to any young man who asked. A pure bride was careful before giving away her heart. Past relationships, if any, were gone into with prayer, wisdom, discretion and the purpose of marriage. She didn't give peices of her heart away for fun.
She kept all she could for her Beloved.

A Pure bride is filled with love for her groom.

The Pure Bride receives her value and security from God, so from her beloved, she only needs love. When there is no baggage in a relationship, there's room for all the overflowing joy and love that comes when two hearts are knit together.

A Pure bride is at peace with God, herself and others.

When the pure bride walks down the aisle, her heart is free. She is at peace with God. She is free to love with her whole heart. Through prayer, scripture meditation and wisdom from her parents, she knows that the man at the end of the aisle is the One whom God created especially for her. She has no doubts. They were made for one another.

"I, take you, my beloved, to be my wedded husband. With deepest joy I come into my new life with you. As you have pledged to me your life and love, so I too happily give you my life, and in confidence submit myself to your headship as to the Lord. As is the church in her relationship to Christ, so I will be to you..."

I will live first unto our God and then unto you, loving you, obeying you, caring for you and ever seeking to please you. God has prepared me for you and so I will ever strengthen, help, comfort, and encourage you.

Therefore, throughout life, no matter what may be ahead of us, I pledge to you my life as an obedient and faithful wife."

- A Wedding Vow

A Pure Bride has God at the center of her life.

When God is at the center of your life, everything else will fall into place. Trust in Him.

"Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her to make her holy, cleansing her by the washing with water through the word, and to present her to himself as a radiant church, without stain or wrinkle or any other blemish, but holy and blameless..."
- Ephesians 5:25-27