Perhaps

My last few weeks have been somewhat hectic. After all there is a wedding coming up in two weeks. So preparations have been made, or are being made. So many things to think about. Particularly because we are venturing out to PEI for the festivities. Happens that my daughter’s boyfriend hails from that part of the country. It has been interesting to watch that relationship grow. Not that I had a choice. They had been living in my basement for the last two years. Been interesting nonetheless. How you can take a Mennonite from southern Manitoba and see that person in a committed relationship with a Newfie from PEI is both intriguing and interesting, all at the same time. (I suspect I will pay for that) It reiterates the power of Love. Then again many will question what I know about love. PERHAPS I should focus less on love and more on a relationship that is working.

As part of the fun they have asked me to officiate at their wedding. They wanted me to marry them but because the wedding is out of province different rules exist. To get my one day licence for PEI would have required me to fly out there in June for a one day workshop. I have a difficult time wrapping my head around that. How much training do you really need to say; “by the power vested in me by the province of . . . . .”? PERHAPS it doesn’t matter. I will get an opportunity to share my thoughts. That could be interesting. It should be a blast.

I attended a wedding this last weekend and, as weddings go, it was good. I normally don’t listen to what the officiating minister says. Often when sitting in a church I will be mesmerized by the architecture. This wedding was outside, on a farm. I enjoyed the aroma of the freshly cut hay. The sun was warm. The dynamics were interesting. Even the occasional whiff of cow poop added to the festivities. I have always assumed that what the minister said was for the sake of the couple getting married. But think about it, do you really think they are listening? PERHAPS it doesn’t matter. In this particular case I heard a reference to a Bible verse and it caught my attention.

If you venture back in some of the stuff I have written about previously you will find a quote I love to use. “Relationships provide us with identity, purpose and direction. In essence relationships, and therefore community, is a life giving, life defining and life nurturing process”. Takes awhile but if you think about it, it makes sense. The minister at the wedding read some verses from 1 Corinthians which is often referred to as the love chapter. The first verse he read resonated with me. So needless to say I did not hear the rest. What I did hear was enough.

When we got home from the wedding I went to my computer to check further on what I thought I had heard. Took me awhile but I did find it. The beauty of Google is you can search till you find the words that you need to address the situation you are dealing with. Even with Bible verses. (a story best left for another day) It simply says this. “If I could speak in any language . . . on earth but didn’t love others, I would only be making meaningless noise like a loud gong or a clanging cymbal.” I know some people like that.

We need relationships to flourish. Without relationships, without other people, without a support system, we have a tendency to slip backwards and often find ourselves mired in a bog of darkness, hopelessness, and loneliness. To be involved in a relationship requires open, honest communication and a real desire to understand the other person. When we communicate, when we show others the willingness to listen and understand, we are working positively on our relationship. That defines us. That gives us direction. That gives us purpose. PERHAPS that is love. PERHAPS it is that simple. Make it a good one.