Recalling the Vows

This weekend, I will perform the wedding of my niece and her soon-to-be-husband. I look forward to doing so. While weddings can be stressful (and expensive) to plan and full of drama (usually involving a self-appointed wedding coordinator who knows how things should be done), they can also be beautifully meaningful events. Weddings are ceremonies during which a man and a woman commit to loving, encouraging, supporting, and caring for one another.

Even the most well-informed brides and grooms who read the books and participate in pre-marriage counseling and listen to parental advice have no real idea of what actually lies ahead. Marriage includes such things as ...

joy, laughter, companionship, romance, sex, mutual support, kids, traditions, Christmas carols, happy birthdays ...

Marriage also includes such things as ...

sorrow, anger, discord, headaches, sexual problems, mutual fatigue, kids, wars over traditions, Christmas stress, sad events ...

Through it all, healthy marriages stay the course and even grow stronger. I remind you of why they do - starting with recalling the vows such as ...

Do you, _____, take _____ to be your lawfully wedded wife, and do you promise before God and these witnesses, to love her, to comfort her, honor and keep her in sickness and in health; and forsaking all others keep thee only unto her, so long as you both shall live?

Do you, _____, take _____ to be your lawfully wedded husband, and do you promise before God and these witnesses, to love him, to comfort him, honor and keep him in sickness and in health; and forsaking all others keep thee only unto him, so long as you both shall live?

With those words, husbands and wives promise to love, comfort, honor, and remain faithful to their spouse.

Why take vows? Because, at times, staying true to the promises is difficult. But staying true to the promises is well worth the effort. By doing so, a man and a woman live out the second great commandment with the person to whom they are closest.

#ordinarylives

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