There was a married couple who decided to give a great feast in celebration of their wedding. The soon-to-be husband and wife sent out invitations to their family and friends, though they knew there would be many who couldn't make the trip to be in attendance.

When the set day finally arrived, the man and woman's paths took them to the front of the church to hear the words, "I now pronounce you Husband and Wife." Turning out toward those who had gathered, they smiled with pleasure at the people who were present for their day. Something, however, was apparently amiss.

The husband first noticed him sitting toward the back of the church. A few seconds later, the wife, who had been over the guest list numerous times, saw the uninvited visitor as well.

Shaking hands with all the well-wishers, the couple found a brief moment to discuss their predicament...

"You didn't invite him did you? How did he find out about our day anyway?!"

As the couple made their way to the room where the feast was to take place, they became increasingly annoyed that this unwelcome "guest" would have the nerve to show up! After the meal had begun, however, and since they no longer saw him, the couple was relieved to see that he hadn't intruded on all of their plans.

The husband and wife were really starting to enjoy themselves when he walked in the door. He even had the audacity to come in 30 minutes after the scheduled start time, making a more conspicuous interruption. In his hand, the man brought a small gift wrapped in a tattered, brown paper sack.

Irately, the couple rose to their feet and stormed over to where the man stood. The wife snatched the bag from his hands and hurled it at the floor with all of her might. Strangely, the "package" made almost no noise; an ever-so-slight thud was the only evidence that the contents had been destroyed. The husband, for his part, screamed furiously at the man for having intruded on their event.

"How could you just barge in on our day?!? We had everything planned out perfectly, and you've ruined it!"

The man, looking gently into the couple's eyes, began to weep with hardly a sound. The husband and wife, screeching at the top of their lungs, told him to leave their feast; with that, he turned and slowly departed the room. Fuming after him, the husband marched over and slammed the door behind the man.

An embarrassed silence had overtaken the room. One of the couple's friends, a nurse by profession, picked up the crumpled sack and looked within to see its contents. Without even waiting to see what was inside, the couple had done away with a tremendously beautiful gift of incalculable worth.

Sources:
• Dove & Wedding Rings Image created by: Festive Flags (Jacksonville, FL) http://www.festiveflags.com/images/occasion/oc002.jpg

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