There is a time for everything, a season for every activity under the Sun. Ecclesiastes 3:1
A love that lasts
Consider this scene carefully. You are a young energetic man, still single and full of hopes and dreams. You were always your mother’s favourite child and have spent all of your life up to this point watching your still married and talking parents. But then one day you meet the woman of your dreams and begin to watch her instead.
She is so beautiful that you know with every fibre of your being that she is the one you want to spend your life with – in fact you are sure that you must spend your life with her. She fills your thoughts, your desires and becomes your dream and hope – you want to marry her.
But there is one little teeny tiny problem - you have no money for the dowry and her father is not parting with her without it. Now here are your choices:
1. Work for 7 years for free and then claim her in payment for all of your work. (You wouldn’t be able to progress financially or develop your career - in fact you would have nothing except a stay at home wife to support at the end of it. But you would have her in the end, she’d be a little older, but she’d still be the girl you loved.)
2. Return home and see if your parents would loan/give you the money then return and make her yours. (This might be a little off putting – how would she see a man who is ready to take a wife but has to run home to mummy and daddy first? Would she still be available on your return? You could start life together right away and would be able to control how you repaid the debt. Of course your brother might be a little upset with you...)
3. Sneak around with her anyway and if she gets pregnant they’ll rush you to marry her so she’ll be yours just the same. You want children, so does she and even if she doesn’t get pregnant everyone will know she’s spoken for and back off. (Of course if her father is very strict he may prefer to se her dead first.)
4. There’s plenty more fish in the sea and no great rush. Your young this is your first love – how can you be sure she’s the right one yet? Perhaps if you played the field it would help you to know she is the one you preferred and you could use the extra time to start your career and save some money too. Of course if you don’t want to lose her you could always lead her and her father on a little in the meantime….
5. Give up, you’ll never have that kind of money and there’s not point wishing. Set your sights on a less desirable/expensive bride or none at all.
The Answer
1. In the end he worked for free for 14 years to be with the woman he loved forever. You know the story of Jacob and Rachel if not you can read it here.
The big question is how true is your love? Would it stand that kind of test of time or would it fizzle away beaten by frustration and unfulfilled passion?
Out in the field in the cold and rain, day after day, night after night, working as a servant when you were the son of a wealthy blest man, hot sun beating down on you, dry winds filling your mouth with dust, wild animals challenging you and only the company of sheep and goats to keep you going. On and on the same mundane routine, the same treacherous terrain for a woman whose hand you couldn’t touch whose lips you couldn’t kiss. You grow older, so does she and yet on and on you work, your love undiminished.
Fourteen years is a very long time. In fact the seven years and one week wait for the wedding was long enough.
How strong is your love? Can it last an argument or a different point of view? Can it stand financial pressures or ill health? Will it bear the pressure of conflicting career goals and schedules or of sagging bodies and ageing minds?
How long will your love last and for how long will your love love you?
Sweet nothings are a welcome sound, and valentines can warm away all of our cares. Compliments, chocolates and cuddles – what more could we ask for on today of all days? Isn’t this the true expression of love? The romantic meal, the intimate lighting, the gently held hand and warm embrace - all the happy moments recounted all the sad ones put to one side. This is the moment of love as created by Hollywood and a hallmark card and shouldn’t we enjoy moments such as this?
Of course, but on the long haul journey of life, with its highs and lows, its many peculiar stresses and tales I want the love that works for fourteen years – don’t you?
Consider this scene carefully. You are a young energetic man, still single and full of hopes and dreams. You were always your mother’s favourite child and have spent all of your life up to this point watching your still married and talking parents. But then one day you meet the woman of your dreams and begin to watch her instead.
She is so beautiful that you know with every fibre of your being that she is the one you want to spend your life with – in fact you are sure that you must spend your life with her. She fills your thoughts, your desires and becomes your dream and hope – you want to marry her.
But there is one little teeny tiny problem - you have no money for the dowry and her father is not parting with her without it. Now here are your choices:
1. Work for 7 years for free and then claim her in payment for all of your work. (You wouldn’t be able to progress financially or develop your career - in fact you would have nothing except a stay at home wife to support at the end of it. But you would have her in the end, she’d be a little older, but she’d still be the girl you loved.)
2. Return home and see if your parents would loan/give you the money then return and make her yours. (This might be a little off putting – how would she see a man who is ready to take a wife but has to run home to mummy and daddy first? Would she still be available on your return? You could start life together right away and would be able to control how you repaid the debt. Of course your brother might be a little upset with you...)
3. Sneak around with her anyway and if she gets pregnant they’ll rush you to marry her so she’ll be yours just the same. You want children, so does she and even if she doesn’t get pregnant everyone will know she’s spoken for and back off. (Of course if her father is very strict he may prefer to se her dead first.)
4. There’s plenty more fish in the sea and no great rush. Your young this is your first love – how can you be sure she’s the right one yet? Perhaps if you played the field it would help you to know she is the one you preferred and you could use the extra time to start your career and save some money too. Of course if you don’t want to lose her you could always lead her and her father on a little in the meantime….
5. Give up, you’ll never have that kind of money and there’s not point wishing. Set your sights on a less desirable/expensive bride or none at all.
The Answer
1. In the end he worked for free for 14 years to be with the woman he loved forever. You know the story of Jacob and Rachel if not you can read it here.
The big question is how true is your love? Would it stand that kind of test of time or would it fizzle away beaten by frustration and unfulfilled passion?
Out in the field in the cold and rain, day after day, night after night, working as a servant when you were the son of a wealthy blest man, hot sun beating down on you, dry winds filling your mouth with dust, wild animals challenging you and only the company of sheep and goats to keep you going. On and on the same mundane routine, the same treacherous terrain for a woman whose hand you couldn’t touch whose lips you couldn’t kiss. You grow older, so does she and yet on and on you work, your love undiminished.
Fourteen years is a very long time. In fact the seven years and one week wait for the wedding was long enough.
How strong is your love? Can it last an argument or a different point of view? Can it stand financial pressures or ill health? Will it bear the pressure of conflicting career goals and schedules or of sagging bodies and ageing minds?
How long will your love last and for how long will your love love you?
Sweet nothings are a welcome sound, and valentines can warm away all of our cares. Compliments, chocolates and cuddles – what more could we ask for on today of all days? Isn’t this the true expression of love? The romantic meal, the intimate lighting, the gently held hand and warm embrace - all the happy moments recounted all the sad ones put to one side. This is the moment of love as created by Hollywood and a hallmark card and shouldn’t we enjoy moments such as this?
Of course, but on the long haul journey of life, with its highs and lows, its many peculiar stresses and tales I want the love that works for fourteen years – don’t you?