Linda Kassis, Wedding Officiant
We are all equal in the eyes of the Creator
LISTEN, LEARN, LABOR, LAUGH, and LOVE
First, LISTEN. Listen to each other. Try to hear what your mate is really saying. The Scripture says: "Be quick to hear, slow to speak, and slow to anger." What you say and how you say it is the foundation upon which to build your marriage. Say things that will encourage and support your partner. Take those words you hear from each other into your heart and let them become building blocks for a solid marriage, stepping stones to happiness. Communication is very important in marriage. Take the time to talk with each other. But more importantly, take the time to listen, for in listening, you communicate that you value your partner's thoughts and feelings.
Second, LEARN. Learn from each other. Both of you are different in many ways. You each bring certain abilities and specific fifts into this relationship. Learn what those talents are, then accept each other's strengths and combine them with yours. Every day will be an adventure as you learn and understand something new about your mate. In fact, the Bible says, "Husbands, live with your wives in an understanding way." So, Groom-to-be, your lifelong assignment is to try to understand this woman, and Bride-to-be, your lifelong assignment is to make sure he understands you. What an assignment! If you learn from each other, not oly will you be better individuals, but also a better couple. Your marriage will grow stronger because of your desire to understand your partner. So take time to learn all you can about each other.
Listen, Learn, and third, LABOR - or work. Be willing to work on your relationship. Someone once said, "Anything worth having in this life is worth working for." Make every effort to make this the very best marriage on God's earth. You don't find precious gems just lying around. You must dig and work hard to find them. Once you find them, you must polish them to shine brightly. So, too if you work and polish your relationship, it will be like finding those precious gems, and you'll "strike it rich" because of all your labor.
Listen, Learn, Labor, and finally, LOVE. What is love? Countless songs have been sung about it. Poems too many to number have been penned describing it. Books as numerous as the stare in the sky have been authored by both men and women trying to help us understand it. But the one Book that rises above them all, the Bible, simply defines love this way:
"Love is very patient and kind, never jealous or envious, never boastful or proud, never haughty or selfish or rude. Love does not demand its own way nor is it irritable or touchy. It does not hold grudges and will hardly ever notice when others do it wrong. It is never glad about injustice, but rejoices whenever truth wins out. This kind of love knows no boundaries to its tolerance, no end to its trust, no fading of its hope, no limit to its endurance. It can outlast anything. Love is, in fact, the one thing that still stand when all else has failed."
So you can see, love is not just something you fee, it is something you do. Groom-to-be, it has been said, "If you treat your wife like a queen, she will treat you like a king."
And so....LISTEN, LEARN, LABOR, LAUGH and LOVE. Practice these five principles and, with God's guidance, your marriage will blossom and grow into a life-long partnership that will endure the challenges of life and withstand the tests of time.
