What God has joined together...

I know even as I start to write this that it will not be well received by some of my closest friends and family.  But that's ok.  It won't be the first time I said something they didn't like.  :-)  But they love me anyway! 

Yesterday I attended a beautiful wedding ceremony for two very special people.  I go to a lot of weddings and I don't always feel like the bride and groom have really thought about what they were doing, what they were promising.  (I didn't feel that way about yesterday's couple, however!)  As I was listening to the words of the ceremony I was again reminded of the seriousness of the vows we take when we marry.  In Matthew 19:6 God's word says:  "Wherefore they are no more twain, but one flesh. What therefore God hath joined together, let not man put asunder."  One flesh--no longer 2 people where each is only interested in his/her own happiness but one--one flesh working together to serve God.  And I think most couples are thinking to themselves,"yeah, that's ok, we can become one."  But it is the next part that people often overlook--the  part about what God has joined man is not to put asunder.  Here is the definition of asunder:

1. Into separate parts or pieces: broken asunder.

2. Apart from each other either in position or in direction.

So when we take a marriage that is whole (one) and make it asunder (broken) then we have gone against the very Word of God.  That is pretty serious business.

Then we get to the part of the ceremony where the couple exchanges vows and rings.  In the traditional marriage vows the bride and groom each  make some solemn promises and ends these vows with these words:  from this day forward until death do us part. The ring ceremony explains that the wedding band is a circle--never-ending.  Sometimes you hear the preacher say "from this day until eternity."  That is forever.

Now, here is the part where I'm going to catch it...
We have gotten so accustomed to the idea of divorce that many couples do not give it a second thought.  And I know I'm old and I know I don't think like most people BUT I grew up being taught that marriage was a one-shot deal.  Even to the point that if you did have just cause to get a divorce (because one was being abused, for example) that you remained alone from that point on.  Some of you know what I"m talking about--that as long as the person you married is living you are not free to marry another.  I know, I know, I'm jumping into some pretty deep waters here.  But it concerns me to see not only young people but middle-aged and older adults who just jump from marriage to marriage because they were bored or unhappy or unfulfilled. So since you don't want to spend your life in prison  you can't murder them, so you just have to work to keep it together. 

This is probably one of the biggest decisions that a person ever makes in their entire lifetime. Because it is a decision that will impact you for a lifetime.  That is why I just wanted to remind those who have never married that if you make that decision you need to be sure you have looked at all the aspects of spending the rest of your life with one other person.  You need to be mature enough to make such a life-altering decision.

I won't tell you that if you truly make this commitment that your marriage will be trouble-free because then I would be telling a lie.  It will be hard.  I was talking to someone the other day who said "I'm not married but I know that marriage is hard work."  That is a very true statement.  So in this time of year where weddings are rampant, take the time to really consider what you are doing. 

Please take this with all the love and caring with which it is written, (And it is certainly not a judgment piece because there is not enough space in any blog to list all of MY own faults and failures.)  It is just an example of an "aged woman" (that is me) teaching the younger women.  May God bless you each today and always!!