Made to Marry

Years ago we went through a season when Dale was working out of town for weeks at a time. I was pregnant with our first child (read hormonal) so the separation was particularly tough on me. Since this was back in the days when long distance calls actually cost money, our budget would only allow for conversations every other day. Our time was limited so we only shared the major news events. I began to feel the loss as all the small joys and moments were no longer shared or even communicated.

It was with this backdrop that God spoke to me powerfully one Sunday. I was sitting in church alone when I felt his presence and heard him whisper to my heart, “I made you to marry you.” I sensed his longing to be part of every aspect of my life. I felt his sorrow at being included only in the big stuff and excluded from the small day to day events. That revelation marked my life and is even more poignant in this season. He is now my only husband. He is my comforter, my counselor and my companion.

I recently learned of a wedding custom that was common in Jesus’ time. A young man and his father would meet with a young woman and her father. After all the negotiations were finished, the young man would take a cup of wine and say, “this cup I offer to you.” It represented his whole life. She then had a choice to make. If she took the cup she was essentially saying, “I accept your life and I give you mine.”

At the last supper Jesus broke from the traditional Passover ritual when he took the cup and gave it to the disciples commanding them to: “drink from it all of you.” Some Bible scholars believe he was making reference to the above wedding custom. He was asking them to be his spiritual bride.

He is asking us the same question. He went to incredible lengths to bring us into his family. As we observe the next few “Holy Days” let us take a fresh look at our intimacy level with him. It was for the joy set before him (us) that he endured the cross. He is asking for our hand and our heart, because we were made to marry him. Happy Easter!