The Sound of Many Waters

We were at a wedding this past weekend in a very unique venue. The bride and groom were married at Meijer Gardens in what I believe is one of the butterfly rooms. The temperature was tropical, the plants were lush, small birds occasionally flitted by, and there was a small waterfall that gurgled during the ceremony. It was difficult to hear the preacher, you had to listen really hard to hear her voice over the water. She spoke about the hard work of marriage, being each others strength, and the fact that as Jesus was at the wedding where he performed the first miracle, turning the water into wine, and turning disaster into joy, so He is here with us at this wedding. I was reminded about how much of marriage is about forgiveness and grace, and what a challenge it is to actually live what Jesus calls us to live. Sometimes, every day is a starting over. I'm always so grateful that God remembers that we are dust, and that we who are believers have passed from judgment into life.

As we left the wedding the thing that most stuck in my head was how difficult it had been to hear the message due to the waterfall. It wasn't a large waterfall at all, probably 3 to 4 feet high. In fact it was more like water falling over rocks in multiple trickles than an actual waterfall. It made me think of Revelation 1:15, where God's voice is described as the sound of many running waters. I always pictured God's voice as being a Niagara Falls type voice, but now, I'm not so sure. I had to listen really hard to hear the preacher at all. The falling water, although beautiful, became annoying and distracting to me. Perhaps "the sound of many waters" just means that when God speaks all other sounds will disappear. His voice will be so compelling that we will desire to hear Him and nothing else. Then the noise that we currently live in, and flow toward, will take it's rightful place as an annoyance and distraction from God. We will physically walk in the garden with God as our friend and companion, He will call us "Beloved" and we will be at peace.