The Church/Marriage Illustration

The Courtship
We are young. Headstrong, foolish, and immature, we set out into the world on a quest to find our calling… and often, to find a mate. We wander and search; sometimes feeling confident and successful, and other times feeling alone, desperate and small. Our lives just aren’t complete… life is fun and full of freedom now, but we are missing something… maybe even those rules and guidelines we have grown to need over the years. And then we see it; we aren’t supposed to be alone! We realize that these feelings of loneliness are normal, and we soon begin to ponder and search for a mate to help fulfill our lives; to protect, nurture and guide us. Oh, and with passion do we search! We long and pray for that relationship our nature is longing for. And then He comes. We meet Him, and soon we are longing for His warm embrace. As we get to know Him better, it becomes so clear of what we were missing, and we now pursue Him with all that we are. He is constantly in our thoughts; we begin to long for a day when He becomes part of us, and when we become His to have, hold and cherish.

The Wedding
Oh what a glorious day, when we simply fall on our knees and beg Him for His security in our lives! And He, being the forgiving, loving courtier that He is, immediately takes us in His arms and proclaims us His. We feel so completed and meaningful in His embrace! We are now committed to His service and hand, and find rejoicing and festivity among so great a crowd of witnesses. The vows we have prayed were said quietly, and yet with a full heart. We know we have rehearsed this moment many times… but today we know that our heart is truly His, forever and ever, from this point on. Oh how glorious is this day! No one can quench the flame of love burning in us today, as we confidently step out into the world, hand in hand with our strong groom. The nervousness and unsettled spirit once dwelling in us is gone, as we now have the freedom to fearlessly pursue and love our groom.

Married Life
It often seems hard to let go of our single lives and the freedom we once had as we now struggle to surrender our plans and hopes to our groom. But we find our new Guide to be encouraging, supportive and gentle as we learn to follow His plan. The first years are filled with youthful energy and joy in our new relationship, and even through our struggles to surrender our plans to Him, we soon find that being honest and forward with our Guide is the only way to communicate with Him. As the years pass by, even at the age when many feel too old to learn something new, we are constantly learning about our Groom; learning to be led, comforted and strengthened in Him. We wonder how we ever got along without Him to look to, and give constant thanks and praise for our companionship with Him. We are all so foolish, selfish and ungrateful; and yet we find ourselves wed to One who knows everything about us, and still longs for a close and intimate relationship with us. Even through the ups and downs of a wonderful married life, we constantly give thanks for the Groom who never fails to comfort, strengthen, and guide us; even when we fail to be the perfect bride.

May the churches of America take delight in the intimate relationship we are encouraged to have with the Lord.

Jennifer