Marriage as a garden of delights

Marriage as a garden of delights. M & G

If only we could view marriage as a garden- a secret garden, then we could have a clearer understanding of it.

I read recently of a description of a very old English garden, which ended with these words…

'it was the kind of garden that was always offering some new discovery'

Another book has this to say, I wonder if you can guess which book,

'Awake north wind, come south wind, and blow on my garden that its fragrance may spread abroad.

 Let my lover come into his garden and taste its choicest fruits.

Let us go there early, and there I will give you my love;

At our door is every delicacy, both new and old,

That I have stored up for you my love'

That quote, believe it or not, is from the bible-The Song of Songs- the most passionate book in the bible.

Marriage ought to be a place of pleasure and delight, a place that ought to be free from guilt, and self-consciousness. It should be a place of creativity, discovery and freedom.

Like a garden, it needs to be tended and cared for. It will have its seasons, its colour, its fruitfulness, and true enjoyment.

In times of winter when the frost sets in you will need to draw closer to one another to keep warm, and protect each other.

There will come a time when dead leaves and the rubble need to be cleared away to make way for new growth and renewal, and it's at times like this where the stronger one must support the weaker until they can play their part again.

Looking over the high garden wall with your eyes on any other garden will give you nothing compared with this one. This garden is the one God is placing you in today. This garden is the one he wants you to treasure and hold on to. This is the place where he wants you to communicate, share problems, disappointments and frustrations; and be truly motivated to work together in it as one, to produce some thing truly beautiful to behold.

Never neglect it, or become lazy, or grow so comfortable in it, that you forget to explore; never take it for granted or grow stale in it; always make time to find new surprises in it together, and you will never be disappointed.

Beautiful gardens don't just happen or drop out of thin air. . . they have to be worked at.  Give it time, and be forgiving of one another's faults, nobody is perfect.

Your marriage today is a reminder to all of us sitting here today that marriage is precious and blessed by God and to be treasured and worked at and guarded at all costs.

God gives you the key to the door of this secret garden today, and you both enter it of your own free will.

Did you all notice before, as M and G began to exchange their vows, the symbolism of the losing and holding of hands?

It signifies the freedom of choice in the joining of two lives. There is no coercion or force.

One freely chooses, releases, and then allows the other to freely choose to enter into this marriage of mind, heart and souls.

By their own free choice they commit themselves to each other's happiness and well-being, and to each other's growth and fulfilment as individual people in their own right. To draw out the full potential in each other and to make this marriage work.

These two young people match together so well. They seem so right for each other, and it is clear to me that they have a deep love and understanding of one another.

In M, G sees not only a beautiful woman who is now his wife, but a person he just loves being with. She laughs at his jokes, she has a bubbly character, and she is always there to talk to.

In G, M sees not only a handsome husband, but also a strong support, someone to share laughter with, and an honest and trusted friend.

They're quite a combination, they're already a team.

They already demonstrate the garments, or should I say the gardening clothes, mentioned in our reading today; they are already clothed in compassion, kindness, humility, meekness and patience; above all they already have found the precious gift of love to crown all these other gifts. I have seen these qualities in them both, as they have shared their hopes and dreams with me. I don't know about you, but I see great potential in these two.

Today we pray that they will be bound in perfect harmony as husband and wife.

To them I echo those final words of scripture:-

Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts…

Always be thankful;

Let the word of God dwell in you, and whatever you do together, in word or deed, let it be done according to the will of God.

May God bless you, and keep you both in his safekeeping now and forever Amen