What is marriage? Well, that is a good question.
I meet lots of people who are not quite sure what marriage is these days. Let me start out by saying what it is not. It is not a trip to Disneyland. It is not living together. It is not the answer to your problems. It will not meet all your needs.
Even if you have been living together for ten years before you get married, expectations change after the marriage. Most people are not even aware of the expectations they have for marriage until after they get married. So, even if you think living together will give you a “trial run”, it won’t. You’ll still be surprised after you say “I do.” Okay, that’s one thing marriage is – a surprise.
Falling in love is only the beginning of a marriage. There is so much more. The person you marry becomes a part of you. (S)he is always in your heart, even during the bad times. You are connected to your spouse in a way that is unique. Marriage creates a different kind of bond than living together does. Once you are married, you will always be connected, even if the marriage ends in divorce. The person you marry becomes part of your being. That’s another thing marriage is –a unique bond.
Marriage can give you the deep satisfaction of true love. It is still the thing that can touch your soul like nothing else can. We were designed to take this awful risk, and to love another with all of our being. Marriage is a complete, all encompassing commitment.
