"I, Dominic, take you, Catherine, to be my wedded wife, to have and to hold from this day forward, for better, for worse, for richer, for poorer, in sickness and in health, to love and to cherish till death us do part according to God's holy will; I pledge to you my faithfulness"
It was almost 15 years age that I said these words to Cassie. Everyday is a challenge to not only remember the words but to live what they say. It's no mistake that God in His wisdom has chosen marriage to be the quintessential model of His love for us. The meaning of the word love, true love, is wrapped up in what it means for two to be be made one. True love or "hesed" in Hebrew is all about sacrifice. When I read Psalm 136, with it's refrain "His steadfast love (hesed) endures forever", I am directed once again to the mirror. Do I love as God has loved? Can I?
We naturally put a lot of pressure on our relationships. We expect one another to live up to the vows we exchange with trembling lips and starry eyes on our wedding day. We find out all too soon that having and holding for better,worse,rich, poor, sick or well is no small feat. Loving and cherishing one another is hard work...particularly if we do not see how we are loved and cherished by God. When Jesus calls us His bride, He is wrapping up all that it means to love sacrificially and centering on His cross. The steadfast love of God is that He would give His only Son... for us! The Creator of the Universe, Creator of each moment of each day, gives us Himself out of pure love that endures forever! This hesed is a gift. It is grace. It is love beyond measure or understanding and it is for us! See that God's hesed has been, is and will be upon you always. Give thanks to God, who in His hesed has given you this precious gift! Live God's hesed as you share with those you love in a sacrificial life for one another!
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