Week 5

 Dear Friends,

This week I learned in the class about “How to Prepare for Marriage” and the hurdles, learnings and sweet wonderful events associated with it.

Reaching up to marriage with a life partner involves great preparation. It has several ways to start but all if is inclusive of 4 main steps.

1.       Dating

2.       Courtship

3.       Engagement

4.       Marriage

1.     Dating: According to my understanding it involves mainly three things: 1. Meeting, 2. Planning, 3. Sharing

Meet: The most interesting topic among teenagers and youth is dating. Dating is the process of knowing each other.

Where to find a future partner? It can be a person who has the same values, they can be one of your friends, someone of the opposite gender with the same interests and ideas, or even one from your congregation. It can even start by meeting the person in an FHE, online through social media, School, or when walking in the street, or meeting while traveling, or attending a seminar or a family gathering, or in a friend marriage or any event. Whatever the situation is it helps us find and meet a future partner.

How to get to know somebody? It all starts with talking. As you meeting somebody. Start a meaningful conversation and impress others with good polite handling. Share your experiences and thoughts in that conversation and this leads to togetherness. This leads to a good friendship or relationship which involves time. Allocating that time in a meaningful way is what Planning.

Planning: Dating is a planned activity. It requires allocating your precious time and efforts to know about a person in a better way. Who knows the opposite person might one whom might be waiting for? In this planning we have one more thing to be considered is the budget for the date, venue, safety, integrity, and importance. A perfect planned date will give a good impression on the opposite person and might help to concentrate on things which matter most.

Sharing: During this wonderful time both of the people have a wonderful time to share, talk and take notes of each other. Giving importance to each other with respect and care takes the dating to a next level. It also strengthens the relationship and improves the bond between each other.

2.       Courtship:

Courtship is a period during which a couple develops a romantic relationship, especially with a view of marriage. We may think that this is similar to dating. No, it is not. The main difference between dating and courtship is: Courtship is about getting to know each other and developing a deep relationship before getting married whereas dating is mostly physical with no strings attached and no emotional intimacy. This is the time where the couple decides if there will be an engagement. Courting includes activities such as dating where couples or groups go together for some activity (e.g., a meal or movie). Courting can also take place without personal contact, especially with modern technology.

3.       Engagement:

The definition of engagement is a promise to marry someone. This is the period of time between the marriage proposal and the marriage. This is an important commitment time to get ready spiritually, financially, and emotionally. Not every engagement will lead to marriage. Keeping the word and living worth of it is the most important part of this testing time.

4.       Marriage:

The most awaited event in this process is Marriage. This is legal and formal recognition of the union of a couple as partners in a personal relationship. The joining of two bodies and two souls from one divine couple. Marriage is a sacred event to me. This is a God-given gift. Once you have got married. It is a new chapter of your life together. Learning family life actually starts from here. This event forms the new family and this is the fundamental unit of society.

Things to be remembered during a relation, courtship, engagement, and Marriage:

1.       Always treat your partner with respect, importance and value.

2.       Don’t date anyone exclusively before you get ready for the marriage.

3.       Plan the dating, budget it, and Protect the partner in all forms.

4.       Dating never ends up with marriage. It continues throughout life.

5.       Men and women both have the responsivity to preside and protect each other, but as per the Family: A Proclamation to the World, Men has the obligation to Preside, provide and protect the family or the future family, whereas the Women has the responsibility to nurture the family including the grownup kid husband or the future husband along with the children when in times of need.

 

Life is beautiful. Pray to God for guidance, Plan it and live it worthily, the windows of heaven will open and the blessing follows. Thank you for your time in reading this blog.