Valentines / Matters of the Heart / Your Wedding Vows A Lifelong Commitment

Valentines Quote for the Day:

Robert Browning: Grow old along with me! The best is yet to be, the last of life, for which the first was made. Our times are in his hand who saith, 'A whole I planned, youth shows but half; Trust God: See all, nor be afraid!'

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When a man and a woman repeat their wedding vows, ending with "I do", each is promising before God and a group of witnesses for the rest of their lives.   Seems like a long time to be with one person--longer for some than for  others. This is fresh in my mind as I have had three married women friends in their 50s  pass away during January of this year.  

Marriage is meant to be entered into as a lifelong commitment.  There are a variety of vows but for the most part, they read like this:  I _____, take you ______, to be my wedded wife/husband. To have and to hold, from this day forward, for better, for worse, for richer, for poorer, in sickness or in health, to love and to cherish 'till death do us part. And hereto I pledge you my faithfulness.  Let's break the vows apart and see what they mean.

• To have and to hold from this day forward:  To belong to each other, yes, to make love with each other, to be with each other from now on no matter what the outward circumstances of your lives.

• For better, for worse:  In good times and in bad, sad times and happy ones.

• For richer, for poorer:  In times of wealth and plenty and in lean times, even poverty

• In sickness and in health:  Illness, cancer, injury and in times of good physical health

• To love and to cherish:  To treat with special care, words of kindness and affirmation, delighting in one another as the dearest person in your heart

• Till death do us part:  Until one of the couple physically dies

• I pledge you my faithfulness / troth:   I promise to be faithful in my emotions and in my physical body.  Fidelity for the rest of your lives with one another.  

A lot to vow before God and witnesses for sure. And not to be entered into lightly but with much prayer, discussion and wise counsel.  May each of you discover a love and BE a love like this.