To the best of my memory (not good) that's a quote from The Princess Bride. I find it funny.
Marriage is all around me at the moment. Saturday brings the marriage of Liss, the Terraces supervisor, to Jamie, an all-round great bloke. Exciting times! It's awesome seeing them so excited about each other. Monday brought the news that one of my second-year friends is engaged - "wow!" is about all I can say to that! He's my age! I still can't believe it. There's another wedding in the near future at Barneys, and Staffworker Mel is getting married in about a month too. There's Sean & Julia already married and only a few years older than me (well, Sean's only a few months). Then of course there's all the prospectives on the horizon*... four that I can think of in my own house alone that could happen within two years, and at least two of those could be on the closer side of the two years. There's a couple of prospectives at uni as well. And there's an awfully huge number of people in close proximity to me who are growing more and more discontent with being single.
What does all this do to a man's psyche? Well, I think I'm finally getting a wholesome, healing, God-glorifying view of marriage in my head - an institution that promotes love, trust, freedom of expression and God-honouring productivity (and reproductivity, but that's another matter). I think I'm finally getting the idea in my head that it is a good thing, not fundamentally a bad or limiting thing. Seeing the way Christians relate to each other romantically and lovingly is an awesomely edifying experience on the whole.
My only major concern is for those amongst us who are discontent with single life and have no colours to choose from (this comes from a figure of speech know to Terracites as "painting the room" - aka "going out" amongst common folk). Such excitement happening around such people makes them feel quite bad sometimes. It actually sucks. Have to make sure the lofty take care of the lowly.
*This is largely speculation at the moment. However, since the beginning of the year, I've successfully predicted the occurrence of three separate romantic situations between people around me. I reckon at least one of these marriages has to happen.
Perhaps we need to find contentment in the Lord, and trust that He knows best for our situations. We are young and we should not worry so much about love, marriage, or singleness - God has a bright and wonderful future for all of us - married or single.
ReplyDeleteHark all ye people! Truer words never emanated from an anonymous mouth as these! And that's just my point - we need to affirm the people who feel low with these truths, because chances are that's just what they need to hear. Marriages and stuff are exciting but they're nothing compared to the future God has in store for us.
ReplyDeleteAt church there has been one wedding, another one later this year, one early next year and one later next year. There's one guy keen and indefinantly going to recieve a yes and another keen, but going to hear and 'hold on a minute'. One couple that will as soon as she finishes her degree and another two heading slowly in that direction. Besides from a wedding being an amazing bond formed between two people and in the case of Christians two peole who know that their love for each other will encourage and build each other up in their ministry, it's also a great big party where everyone looks good becasue they have to and feels good because love is actually everywhere.
ReplyDeletecant wait
ReplyDeleteinteresting insight into it I reckon. finding contentment in singleness - now anyone who figures it out - do pass it on :)
ReplyDelete