A Simple Message for a June Bride

An avid reader of cookbooks, I found these words in Linda Hubalek’s, Butter in the Well. 

I love to see the journey a journal keeps. 

As a counselor, I immediately liked them. The writer’s words touch several aspects of my feminine heart; the message is both simple and sophisticated.  Here, in a few sentences, I see the following:

Prayer

Adventure

A mother’s heart

A daughter’s journey

A blessing

A call to covenant

“Leaving and cleaving” to one’s spouse is simple, but not easy. It requires focus and commitment; it takes effort; and it is a choice.  Further, it is a both a blessing and a requirement for establishing and maintaining a Christ-centered marriage.  

How do you “leave and cleave”?

·      First, parents initiate this step by teaching and training their children that the transfer of loyalty, dreams and dependence is both good and God-designed.  If you missed this training, it is never to late to be a student and/or a teacher.  

·      Second, set and observe healthy boundaries in relationships.  Respect your spouse. Guard the words that leave your mouth and avoid gossip at all times.

·      Third, trust.  Place your trust in God – the author of marriage. Choose a spouse who loves God with their all, and trust will be at the foundation of your marriage.  Adventures are more easily embraced when you know whom you are following.

·      Fourth, seek wise counsel. Make pre-marital counseling a priority. I promise the marriage is more important than the wedding ceremony. Cake and flowers fade, but you can experience the beauty of marriage with this person for decades.

·      Fifth, let go and embrace.  All stories develop and grow; they are not meant to be static. Your marriage is a story.

·      Last, pray and read Scripture. Nothing shapes your life, or your marriage, like a developed prayer life and time in the Word of God.  (hint: read Genesis 2:24, Matthew 19:5, Ephesians 5:31)

God is always at work. He uses the ordinary to reveal the extraordinary. He can transform our marriage with one sentence and expand our professional life via a cookbook. Seek the covenant he designed; your prairie is waiting!

Let God write your love story.

Blessings,

Jo