To love and to cherish.
In sickness and in health.
Till death do us part.
The wedding vows… Do you remember the promise that you made on that special day? Recently we traveled to North Carolina to see our son marry the woman that God created just for him. It was one of the most spirit led ceremonies that I have attended. One of the aspects of the wedding that struck me very significantly was the vows that each of them wrote. I was struck by how personal and personally convicting they were with their vows. It was pretty-clear that they had a solid handle on who they were about to marry and how they were committed to growing together to have the kind of marriage that God had intended for them. “I vow to remember you are human and will make mistakes and I vow to choose love when you do.” “I vow to respect you as a woman, wife, and as someone filled with the Holy Spirit.” Those were just a couple of the very specific promises that they made to each other. 30 years ago, my wife and I shared our vows rooted in what are the more traditional phrases that we’ve come to know… “sickness and health” “till death do us part.” Whether traditional or New Skool specific, the vow is a solemn promise that we make to each other in front of God and our much more judgmental family and friends.
When my wife was diagnosed with breast cancer, I reflected on the “sickness and health” section. When we purchased our new home, I thought about those difficult financial times of the past and the “for richer or poorer” line. On days when we didn’t always see eye to eye “till death do us part” is one of the thoughts that can come to mind. So, what promises did you make? They were cute phrases on that special day but beyond nice sounding phrases for all to hear, they were a promise to your spouse and God. What promises did you make?
Mike Watkins Atlanta, GA