Beach Parties and Wedding Bells

Well, as you read this I am at my cottage on Georgian Bay after a great week of camping. We are in the midst of planning one of our famous family beach parties known for the friends, family, food and live music. We do our best to at providing the perfect soundtrack to the incredible images of dancing, twinkling stars of the constellations in the brilliant night sky overhead. This time we will be celebrating the upcoming wedding of my brother and his fiance. I have the honour of doing the wedding in September. It has had me thinking about marriage lately.

I have been meeting with my brother and his fiance, talking about what marriage is and what they want to celebrate when the day comes and some of the thoughts we have been sharing have been great.

We have been talking about commitment and permanence. It got me thinking about how it is somewhat counter-cultural these days, in all forms of relationship from work to marriages. Whether it is a place of employment or marriage, things just don't seem to last like they used to. Commitment however, provides us with safety, and with that safety we can be who we truly are. We can risk becoming vulnerable. And when we risk vulnerability we can experience a depth of intimacy we will have never have experienced before.

We have been talking about community. Marriage is for better or for worse, and in life we have to expect some of the "worse". It can be an incredibly difficult task to withstand the storms of life. A sense of community is so important, to have others there to come along side us and help shoulder the burden when things are tough. Every couple should have people around them to do just that, and to help them to carry out the promises they made to each other to stick together through good times and through struggle.

We have also been talking about celebration. Yes, life will throw rough stuff at us, and there will be tough times which makes it all the more important to really stop and take time to celebrate the good times. Weddings are a great chance to gather all those that we care about and to celebrate together an amazing event and the beginning of an amazing new chapter in life.

Of course, for me, I find myself being reminded that all of these things are biblical principles found in scripture, designed and implemented by a loving God who has our best interest at heart. For me, it is another thing, and perhaps THE thing to celebrate.

I also found myself thinking about my own marriage and my wife. I continue to be thankful for the person God gave me. That she has stuck with me for over ten years is a real example of patience commitment and an indication that God has truly been in it! I love you Kimberley, you are loving, caring, intelligent, fun and yes...I still think you are HOT!!

"For this reason a man will leave his father and mother and be united to his wife, and they shall become one flesh."
Genesis 2:24

...What God has joined together, let no man separate.
Matthew 19:6