I'm Getting Married (Oh My God!)

Last Friday, I arrived at Waterfront Insular Hotel dressed up for the occasion. My long-time friend since High School, Cindy Avila will be married to the man she loves. I arrived at the ceremonial site - a large white gazebo by the shore, a lightly-cooled ambiance bringing the air of Christmas, the bermuda grass, the cocunut trees swaying along the proddings of the wind. It was kind of romantic - you see like the ones in the movies. There are only a few around, maybe her family's and her husband's family, close friends in work, in the church and us - I (Andy), Mae, Cindy Aguilar, and Kenneth, her high school friends - all the ones special in her heart and I felt quite honored to be invited in such solemn occasion where God would bind two different individuals, to be a life of blessing as a husband and wife, to be nurturer of God's precious gifts as father and mother, to work as one to advance God's Kingdom here on Earth.

You guess it! I'm writing about marriage today! What a huge topic to discuss! For a young man like me, most uf us considered at this point of age to be carefree, to enjoy singleness by forming a network of friends and immersing oneself full-time for God's ministries as well as climbing the career ladder. But anyway, as I was listening to the sermon, marriage appeared to me like some a very sacred bound that no man should ever separate. In marriage, the individuals are not tied to each other like handcuffs tied between a policeman and a criminal, rather God binds them. Imagine a golden, indestructibe cord tightfully tied around two persons. It is like forcing two different, highly individualistic individuals with his or her own paths to walk brought together by deepcommitment, their desire to love each regardless the circimstance, regardless what each of them feel, their will to support each other to whatever calling God has called them to do, to be Christian models for young minds as they become father and mother and to mold these younglings to be the best individuals God has called them to be.

It is a sad fact nowadays that people don't really felt the gravity of the commitment required as they enter marriage. Most of them if not, as I have observed, consider to get married because they feel that their love for them becomes deeper or more intense and marriage would be a good celebration to affirm that loving feeling. No wonder why divorce rates are so high! When these couples realized that they FEEL LIKE NOT LOVING each other anymore brought about the pressures marriage demands, they would say enough and there goes the divorce papers. Though every relationship begins of falling in love accmpanied with the "feeling" of love, it should not be a basis for getting married. As I have said earlier, marriage is based on commitment - it is as synonymous of doing what you have sworn to do no matter what - to be with your partner, in sickness and health, for richer or for poorer till death do you part. If one goes to think and feel its gravity, you realize it requires a great deal of sacrifice, a great deal of patience, sometimes your happiness would be sapped away. However when these are focused to God, the originator of marriage, married life will be richer and fuller, more deep and loving, more intimate in a deeper level compared to the time you have fallen in love despite the hardships you have encountered. It is no wonder that arranged marriage sometimes works, the husband and the wife have sworn to do according the role he/she has given and is commited to do it because they consciously believes that doing so will bring them a life of blessing. Marriage is a spiritual union, as Christians we are to trust God to lead the marriage. Marriage is not two people tied to each other focusing to please each other or themselves, it is two people hand-in-hand looking up to God to please Him that they may be a life of blessing to God, to their children, to their families, friends, co-workers, to the community and most of all to each other.

Anyway after the ceremony, we proceeded to the dining room where we celebrate the newlyweds. I sang 3 songs for the bride and groom and it's good singing (as well as nervous) for them. It is my prayer that may God bless their married life richly. God Bless to you all!