7 years ago when my husband proposed, he took my entire family away for a week-end; he paid for everything, from the accommodation to food and the works... I had a suspicion that he was going to propose but couldn't understand, how, what, when.. I was expecting him to take me out to dinner, you know the usual clichéd proposal.
On the Saturday night, we had a braai and did it coloured style, die tafel uitgedek met alles and alles and as the whole family sat down around the table, my husband stood up, addressed my father and said "Mr Haskins, I love your daughter very much and would like to ask you for her hand in marriage." After the go-ahead from my dad, my husband turns to me, takes out a little box from his back pocket, goes down on one knee and proposes. We got married a few months later and in the almost 7 years of marriage my husband did a lot of things wrong but that was the one of the greatest things he did right and despite the many challenges we faced thus far, that action of honoring my parents in the way that he proposed to me by not only asking my father first but involving my entire family in the actual proposal speaks volumes of the respect that he has, not only for me but more importantly, for my parents.
In the book of Ephesians, Paul gives us some really good advise as he makes reference to God's command of honoring parents: "Children, obey your parents in the Lord, for this is right. Honor your father and mother (which is the first commandment with a promise), so that it may be well with you, and that you may live long on the earth."
The first 5 years of our marriage was extremely challenging but through the struggle and the challenges, the one thing I can say for sure is that my husband has never, not even once, disrespected my parents, in any way. He honors my father and my mother in every possible way and the truth is that if you do not honor your parents and you marry someone who does not honor your parents, it will not go well with you and your marriage. Through the hardships and through the struggles I have seen the blessings and the grace that we sometimes think we don't deserve but maybe sometimes we reap blessings where we have sown by being obedient to God's word, His teaching and instruction. When I think back at what God brought us through, it makes sense that there must have been something, some beacon of hope or light, something that caused God to turn His face toward me as I cried out to Him to save my husband and my marriage on many occasions and maybe, just maybe it had a little to do with this commandment with the promise ;)
If honoring your parents is the first commandment with a promise then it must be somewhat important, don't you think?
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