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Monday, May 14, 2012

I Give You My Love



I give you my love
I give you my heart
I give you my hope
I give you with joy
     from the coffers of my precious time the rest of the days of my life;
To delight in your body
To nourish your mind
To be at home with your spirit
     the way a star is at home in the sky;
To celebrate you with joy
     the way the sun emblazons the seas with its light;
To console you in sorrow
To wrap my heart around yours like a blanket
Until we both shall grow old and the sight falls from our eyes
 and our being
      falls from life to light;
I choose to go with you always
From this day until the end of our days
As your adoring soul mate.

Friday, May 4, 2012

Should I get married?

Question: Sometimes I think I want to get married, but lots of marriages end in divorce.  Why should I put myself through that pain?



Answer:  It is understandably difficult to imagine that your marriage will last when so many others have failed.  No one wants to be hurt.  But ask yourself this: would it hurt if your lover left you or was unfaithful to you?  Of course it would.  The truth is that all relationships involve some degree of risk.  You must be willing to take a risk in order to gain the love that your heart desires.

Getting married, however, isn't as big of a risk as is living together.  Choosing to live together won't prevent the pain you wish to avoid.  In fact, living together may be more likely to cause your relationship to fail.

Beyond the practical benefits of marriage, there is the mystery of God's plan for relationships.  Sex and marriage are his ideas!  Because God loves you so much, he wants the absolute best for you.  That's why he gave instructions to marry and to save sexual intimacy for marriage.  He knew that the best way for your deepest needs to be met was in the security of marriage.  When you obey the instructions he has given, he promises to bless you.  Marriage is simply the right thing to do when you love someone. 

God wants you to find fulfillment in marriage, but on one person can meet all your needs. You need a relationship with God.  Even in the most healthy marriage, you will have a place in your heart that will feel unsettled or unsatisfied.  This spot has been described as a God-shaped void that only God can fill.  God's plan for you can only be known as you get to know him.

 If you want to understand more how your marriage is part of God's process to grow the two of your into a lasting, loving oneness, Chaplain Gene and Chaplain Anne would love to share our story with you. Free premarital counseling sessions are available.

From "Making an Informed Decision About Marriage" 2003 Frontlines Publishing