The day you said “I do” you chose your love;
since then you have been learning to love your choice.

Some years ago I was asked to provide a short devotional at a bridal shower. As I pondered what I might say, the concept of the bridal veil came to mind. I made a simple veil from a puffy piece of netting, some white flowers, and lace. When it was time for devotions on the night of the shower, I placed the home-made veil on the head of the bride-to-be and shared a few words of encouragement with her concerning the important step she was able to take.

I reminded her that the bridal veil symbolized her passage from protected innocence to commitment to one special man. As the ceremony begins, the bride belongs to the first man in her life, her father, who proudly escorts her down the aisle. But at the altar he relinquishes her to another man, the groom.

After the pastor pronounces the couple husband and wife, the beaming groom lifts the veil for their first kiss as a married couple. And the bride willingly grants him access to her lips and, “till death do us part,” to her entire life.

I talked about the parallel between the bridal veil and the veil in the tabernacle between the holy place and the holy of holies. For centuries the tabernacle veil separated God from His people except for one day each year when the high priest was allowed to enter to offer sacrifice for himself and the nation of Israel.

But when Christ died on the cross, the veil was torn from top to bottom, symbolizing the complete access we now have to God through Christ. (Matthew 27:51 says, “At that moment the curtain of the temple was torn in two from top to bottom. The earth shook and the rocks split.”)

Hebrews 10:19-22 says, “Therefore, brothers, since we have confidence to enter the Most Holy Place by the blood of Jesus, by a new and living way opened for us through the curtain, that is, his body, and since we have a great priest over the house of God, let us draw near to God with sincere heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled to cleanse us from a guilty conscience and having our bodies washed with pure water.”

Similarly, when the bridal veil is lifted, the bride offers to her groom complete access, which was not available to him before they said “I do.”

As I concluded my talk, I lifted the veil and said,

“Ruthie, when your new husband lifts this veil on your wedding day, remember that you gave him permission to do so. Through your marriage commitment you grant him total and permanent access to your life, emotionally and physically.

As your marriage goes on, there will be times when even you won’t want to share something with your husband or when an argument disrupts your relationship. You will be tempted to pull down the veil and separate yourself from him. Don’t do it. Once the veil is lifted, it is gone forever. You are totally his.”

Then I gave Ruthie a small, square piece of netting to slip into her Bible as a reminder of the lesson of the lifted veil.

Whether you wear a veil on your wedding day or not, I invite you to consider its symbolism in your relationship to your husband. Through your marriage vows you and your husband become one. On that precious day, you grant him complete access to your life.

Next to your relationship with God, nurturing your relationship with that one special man is the most important responsibility you’ll have.

As Elisabeth Elliot says about this book,

“For a woman to stay home in America today takes the courage to face rude questions, criticism, even ostracism at times. It usually takes a willingness on the part of both her and her husband to make material sacrifices. The conviction that this is the course God wants her to follow will give the needed courage. It is my prayer that many readers will be strengthened in their convictions, and that many more will gain a new perspective hitherto undreamed of, not merely of the importance but of the glory of full-time mothering.”