http://juliahochu.tumblr.com/post/97173792321/so-here-we-are
A brother and sister who are honest about the the two months leading up to their wedding. I watched them struggle with finding God, especially the groom in cell group, and at times I thought it was silly (like dinner at Red Robin one time), but I do understand where they are coming from and support them 100%. Now that they are married, I pray and hope to be accountable for their marriage and following in the covenant and purpose of marriage.

What is the purpose of marriage? Another way to phrase it is this: why did God invent marriage and for what purpose does it hold as a sacrament in furthering God's kingdom?

Anyways it was the first wedding I've been to where a groom cried. June and I were even talking about it on the way up to the venue, how I've never seen a groom cry before and Thomas didn't seem like the sort to cry. He always seemed strong, or at least headstrong. But I was proven wrong and June got her wish to see Thomas cry. Those tears were beautiful, symbolic of how Christ cries in jubilation for his bride the Church.

Now I see Thomas at church and ask him how his marriage is coming along, and his one word answer was "suffering." He explained that "suffering" produces the kind of joy that is worthy of the Kingdom of God and that "suffering" is what brings him closer to his wife and glorifies God. I told him to expect even more of that "suffering." (Sometimes I think Christians are spiritually masochistic...hey its Biblical. I also coin the word "spiritual incest" and "spiritual necrophilia" in context of Biblical marriage).

Ya...I did tear up when reading this. I hope to follow the four points listed by Thomas, and I did watch him and Julia struggle to follow them the summer before the wedding. Separation from each other must have been excruciatingly painful, but it is through this humility and pain that God's voice gets through to our minds and hearts. They will grow strong in this God centered, God pointing, God glorifying marriage.

I really hope I find a woman who can also follow these precepts, to at least be able to say "God is enough."