LAST SATURDAY OUR DAUGHTER KATIE got married. We’ve been through the whole wedding thing before with her two older brothers, but it’s a whole different deal when you’re the parents of the bride!
In spite of all the craziness that comes with planning and preparing for a wedding, it was an absolutely perfect day. The wedding was held in Capitola, California – a quaint little beach town just below Santa Cruz. The whole celebration was beautiful and simple and sweet and fun – all the things that Katie had wanted it to be. And as she and Brachen were surrounded by their friends and families, they committed themselves to each other in marriage and began the adventure of life together as husband and wife.
Being married to a pastor, I’ve heard a lot of horror stories about weddings. And I’m so thankful that Katie & Brachen’s wedding was truly a celebration of their love and the love they share with all those who were there with them. Katie’s main desire while we were planning the wedding was that it simply be a celebration with the people she & Brachen love, and who love them. And it was.
Though I loved every minute of their wedding and all the things surrounding it, one of the things that was especially special was the “Marriage & Family Covenant” that they signed during the ceremony along with Brachen’s three children. You see, Katie not only became a wife last Saturday, but she became a step-mom to three incredible kids! And as a part of the ceremony, they all signed a covenant of commitment to each other. This is what it said:
Believing that God has brought us together as a family
we commit ourselves to each other on this day, November 9, 2013,
before God and our family & friends. We promise, with God’s help,
to live life together with kindness and patience,
loving each other unconditionally, forgiving each other,
praying for each other, laughing together,
always being there for each other,
and encouraging each other to follow God’s leading
as together we learn to love Him and love others.
What an awesome commitment to make to each other in our families. Because that’s what God intends for a family to be. Imperfect people who God brings together in a loving, grace-filled relationship that is unique from all the rest of the world. A safe place to grow and learn together. To laugh together. To cry together. And as we grow in that love within our families, it will spill out onto the rest of the world around us.
If you haven’t thought about this before, I want to encourage you to take some time with your own family to write out the commitments that you want to make to each other. Come up with your own Family Covenant together. Then print it up and sign it. It will be a great opportunity for you to focus on the unique relationship that God has given you as a family, and to remind you of the commitments that you are making to each other.
by Bernice Gudgel