Engaging

Twas a snowy, cold day in Northeast PA.
My girlfriend and I found ourselves,
by my design, in a local park...
her house not too far away.
Her eyes were glowing, her cheeks were red
her heart was full...the park was dead.

 

This very same park, not long ago 
watched me confess my love.
"I love you" to her I said for the very first time
and offered my arms as a place of rest...
her tears caught by my willing chest.

 

Flash forward to Feb 18th, 2006.
I grabbed her cold hand
to warm her soul
as the sweat poured from my nervous palm
my composure was nearly gone.
I stopped along the snow-covered path
and kissed the white ground with a trembling knee.
The father was okay with me...but would she be?

 

A tiny black box...A much bigger question
Would she say yes? Would she say no?
Was this really happening!?
its all a blur...spare the look in her eye.
For when she spied the ring...my oh my
if ever i believed that i could bend time
it would be this moment.
Yes I am certain it slowed just for me.

 

I cannot remember how I asked or what I said
I was  busy staring at eternity instead
She tucked in her lips, ever so slightly
and closed her eyes...but not too tightly
and with a simple nod and a single tear
She gave me joy everlasting that has continued
year after year.

Marital Respite

Modern Wedding Vow: "Yeah, we'll do this thing...'till it requires work, then I am off this track"

Unlike most of the posts I do, I didn’t plan on writing this one. It struck me, however, how little value marriage truly has these days.

Sure, I read the statisticians statements; they scream at me saying 50% of all marriages end in divorce, but it never hits home until it hits home.

My wife and I recently noticed that at least half of our married friends are either legally separated or divorced.

We attended some of the weddings of the aforementioned couples; moreover, others worked side by side with us in the church.

Still others had been married for many years before deciding to call it quits. It is my belief that some of you are screaming “So what, it is none of your business”; I respectfully disagree.

Firstly, as Christians we are called to both seek and give wise council to our fellow brothers and sisters. Secondly, the act of marriage is intrinsically public.

We marry before witnesses and sign legal documents which are part of the public record; moreover, most couples make public vows to each other and God.

I am not of the belief that a husband and wife’s business is all part of the public record. I am not entitled to know their reasons for ending their marriage.

I am, however, entitled to say that divorce should never be celebrated or cheered, especially by those who profess Christ.

I am growing very weary with seeing the following messages on recently separated couples’ Facebooks, Twitters and MySpaces.

“Girl, you are FREE! YAY!” or
“Finally I am rid of her, I can be myself, pursue my dreams” or
“Girls night out to celebrate my independence”

I publicly pronounce: Shame on you! You have allowed pride, selfishness and utter foolishness to corrupt your mind; furthermore, if you have surrounded yourself with friends who encourage separation over reconciliation, they are fools; rid yourself of such folly filled fiends.

Don’t misunderstand me, I am not condemning those who for whatever reasons have ended their marriage.

I am simply saying that Christians should feel saddened and some sense of contrition for breaking a vow they made to God and their friends and family.

A broken home is never something to cheer.