Valentines Day is this week. (Have you thought of how you're going to express your love for your beloved?) This is a time when romance seems to be in the air and many couples think of getting married.
Did you know that married couples tend to be better off financially than single folks? Marriage reduces poverty and financial hardship for disadvantaged mothers and children, and cohabitation is less likely to reduce poverty than marriage. Alternatively, parental failure to marry or divorce seems to increase children's risk of failing in school. (from http://www.nationalmarriageweekusa.org/images/research/NMW30Conclusions.pdf) Overall, married couples enjoy more financial stability than singles.
So... don't let the cost of a wedding keep you from getting married. I believe that the ceremony's meaning is more important than a fashion show. The quality of the bride and groom's relationship is what's going to matter in the long run. The relationship is more important than a fancy shindig. The reception, pictures, beautiful clothes, wedding location are all secondary to the marital relationship, especially in determining whether the marriage is going to last in the long run. One of the most meaningful weddings that I've seen, consisted of the bride and groom, their immediate families and a few close friends, standing in a circle in the front of the sanctuary, while the couple exchanged vows before God.
It is possible and meaningful to get married in a modest or low-cost wedding. Feb. 7-12 is National Marriage Week. See http://www.nationalmarriageweekusa.org/affordableweddings for affordable wedding ideas.
Above all else, remember the words of I Corinthians 13:4-7, in which Paul describes agape love.
Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It does not
dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love
does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always
hopes, always perseveres.
Paul wrote this to all the believers in the Corinthian church, which makes it apply to all Christ-followers today, not just newlywed couples. If you're a not in a romantic relationship, look for how you might share a bit of God's love. Could you give a non-romantic gift to a friend because you appreciate him/ her? Could you treat a friend to a Pepsi and dessert or a meal? Send a friendship card expressing what you like about her/him?
Agape love is God's giving, sacrificial love - the kind of love needed in EVERY relationship.
P.S. There's still time for you to tell your beloved how much you love her/him!
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