Love and Marriage

Amy and I attended a wedding this past weekend; she was actually a bridesmaid in it. Despite the fact that I was nursing a cold, and that the event took us way past our bedtime, we had a really good time. (The kids were safely under the care of Amy's sister, so perhaps we were intoxicated by the rare freedom to party.)

I was particularly moved by the toasts at the reception. One was by the bride's older brother, who expressed his commitment from childhood to look after his little sister, and who was so happy that she had found someone who shared that love and devotion. And one was by the groom's younger brother, who had always looked up to his big brother, was honored by the chance to be his best man, and took great joy in knowing his big brother had found someone to share his life with.

During these toasts, there were many laughs and many tears. I could not help but think of our own two kids, wondering what they might say at each others' weddings, wondering who they might find to spend the rest of their lives with.

I was reminded by these two siblings at the wedding that it is so important how Aaron and Jada relate to each other: no matter what else they do in life and who else they meet, they are each other's only siblings. And I was reminded that who they choose to spend the rest of their lives with: stereotypically, Amy and I thought as an aside, no man will ever be good enough for our Jada, and will some woman please consider taking our Aaron.

Kidding aside, it really is true that when man and woman marry, it is two families coming together, not just two individuals. In that sense, our family is not yet complete; it awaits the addition of an entire family structure that we will be marrying into if and when our kids marry.

And so the next morning, I took extra time to pray for two things for Aaron and Jada that I ought to pray more for them. First, that they would love each other as brother and sister, and cherish that unique role each plays for the other. And second, that they would find someone to spend the rest of their lives with, who completes them, whose family completes our family, and with whom they can begin their own family.