The Bride walks down the aisle, toward her Beloved. A veil cascades across her face, concealing the look about her countenance. The BrideGroom waits for her patiently, but with anticipation as she draws closer and closer. He stands tall and proud, almost regal, as she draws yet closer still. It is as though he were king and the queen were drawing neigh. She reaches her destination, facing the Groom, who, at this time, reaches out toward the Bride and gently lifts the veil. There they stand, no more veils between them. Her face, full of radiance glows with joy as she looks to him and he to her. There they stand, side by side, no more veils between. The first day of a New Day...

The wedding ceremony is a beautiful and poetic depiction of how life can be with God. God is the BrideGroom and we are His Chosen Bride. Just as a man selects who he desires to marry, so too, God has chosen you. Just as a Bride decides whether or not she will accept the invitation to matrimony, so too, we must decide if we will enter into a deeper and more committed relationship with God. If we do chose to answer, "yes", our King patiently waits for us as we journey toward Him, drawing closer. The closer we get the greater the Radiance and Glow of His reflection is upon us. This radiance changes us, warms us, embraces us and leads us to become a better version of ourselves.

Something magical and mysterious happens when the veil is lifted. It represents a type of "threshold" that we cross over into deeper intimacy with God when we draw close enough for Him to extend his hands and remove the veil. This is a great analogy, but how does it transcend to everyday life? How do we draw close enough to God for the veils that camouflage our vision from complete clarity of thought and deed to be lifted?

• Seek. ~We actively look to God for direction and wisdom. We do this by praying and reading the Bible. If these things become a focal point for direction, just as the Bride makes the Groom her focal point when walking down the aisle, she safely reaches her destination. You will receive the answers you need and reach your goal or destination.

• Ask. ~We ask God for help. We ask others for help, too. We pray for discernment to understand the guidance and direction God sends us. If we do everything on our own initiative, without asking, we may make choices that seem like a good idea, until we implement them. That's when God comes along, through circumstance or reason, and shows us how we could have done it better and makes the correction. In these moments we gain wisdom (for indeed it is better to try and fail than to do nothing), but how much greater our wisdom becomes when we learn to practice these steps in the proper order! We can bypass many failures.

• Listen. ~When God brings the answer or reproof we need, we pay attention! It is very common that when God sends a direction or answer, if we are still behind a veil, it is hard to discern the answer to our prayer because it may come subtly or it may not look how we expected it to look. So, we must pay close attention to God so we can recognize His answer when it comes. If we are paying attention and listening we will hear, we will see, we will know, we will understand and we will succeed!

Seeking God, moving toward him, allowing Him to unveil our eyes so we can see more clearly, is very simple and it is very duplicatable. The challenge comes with the focus and discipline to pay attention and follow these steps in every area of our life. When you try it and you find success, it will encourage you, comfort you and inspire you to do it again! Then, it becomes a pattern, a healthy habit, a way of thinking and it will change your life. The Peace that comes when we allow God to be like our spouse is the most secure feeling in the world. Try it! I know you will like it!

~Nicole