“He who finds a wife finds a good thing, and obtains favor from the Lord.” Proverbs 18:22
Who doesn’t love a wedding? We had a sweet little home wedding in my house last Saturday. My granddaughter married her best friend. Although he was a bit older than her, it didn’t seem to make a difference as I watched them interact with each other. My son, Mark performed the ceremony, attended by a few friends and family. The bride requested the homily to be on her favorite verse, John 3:16. “For God so loved the world that He gave His one and only Son, that whoever believes in Him, should not perish but have eternal life.” Mark explained the verse and its meaning. That God sent His Son into the world as the Savior to cover all our sins, past, present and future, on the cross so that we might live in heaven with Him forever. He took the punishment we deserved. If anyone accepts that gift of salvation, they will receive eternal life! After the vows were spoken and the “I do’s” were said, they were pronounced husband and wife and the groom kissed his bride. It was a delightful experience!
There are so many plans that go into a wedding, even a small one. My friend, Charlotte came the day before and decorated the house. We went from Christmas red to bridal white. The bride wore a beautiful long lacey dress and carried a bouquet of white roses. Her favorite music was playing as she came down the stairs and walked the aisle to where her groom stood. Her father gave her away and everything went according to plan. After the ceremony was over, the bride wanted to say a few words. She thanked her parents for giving her good advice and that she acted on what they said. She admitted she would not have found the “love of her life” if she had not listened to them. Then she apologized for any unhappiness she might have caused to her family, including her grandfather Terry. I was so touched by it all!!
One of the truly happy experiences Terry and I had over our years of ministry was pre-martial counseling. We always gave couples a “Temperament Test” first. Their differences would show up quickly! Opposites are what make a marriage interesting! Our differences are meant to complement one another, but sometimes they bring sparks and heat! Ruth Graham said, “If we were both alike, there would be no need for one of us!” Change comes by the Holy Spirit as we read and obey His Word to become more like Christ. Two can accomplish more together than separately if under the control of the Holy Spirit. “Two are better than one, because they have a good reward for their labor. For if they fall, one will lift up his companion. But woe to him who is alone when he falls, for he has no one to help him up,” Ecclesiastes 4:9-10.
Have you ever considered the differences between men and women? Tim LaHaye says there are over 800 gender differences! There are experiences from childhood years, family traditions, how we process information in making decisions, how we communicate, baggage from abuse, education, love languages and the list goes on and on! Look at it this way, “Not wrong, different!” In making a decision, listen to each other, you might both be wrong, you might both be right, or one wrong and the other right! My advice to the groom is always the same: “The best thing you can do for yourself is to love your wife!” I’ve never known a wife who disagreed! And that’s biblical! “Let each one of you in particular so love his own wife as himself, and let the wife see that she respects her husband,” Ephesians 5:33. I call that Marriage 101, a good beginning to the rest of your life!
Your friend, Jean