Imagine a day that you wake up in a sweat worrying about all there is to do – you get out of bed and realize that your legs are trembling. The day gets even better as you coral people, deal with rain, then hail followed by a grand finale of a power outage. Now, imagine that day being among the top days ever that you will never forget. For me, that day was five years ago today – my wedding day. It has been five amazing years since I committed my life, before God, to my bride & to this day, I love her even more than the last. We have had quite the adventure these past five years and I am so excited to see what the Lord has to bring for us in the coming years. Summer – thank you for your amazing service to me that is a result of your love for God.
Each year Summer & I try to culminate our love for each other by reciting our vows again:
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“I, Russell Ripley Page, in presence of all these witnesses recognize that these vows I am about to make to you are unbreakable! Like the rings that we are about to exchange represent, they have no end. I promise to love you, Summer, with all of my heart. I promise to care for you, provide for you, comfort you and lead you as God commands me to do through His Word. Through all of the uncertainties and trials of the present and future, I promise to be faithful to you and love you. Although the world may take these vows lightly, I promise to hold to them as I would my own life. Numbers 30 verse 2 says, “If a man makes a vow to the Lord and binds himself with a binding obligation, he shall not violate his word; he shall do according to all that proceeds out of his mouth”. I am binding myself to you, under the mighty hand of God, as a reminder to the world of the relationship of Christ to His bride that He will never leave or forsake her. So shall I pledge to never leave or forsake you because my reverence and fear for our Lord will supersede my own human love. I promise to you, Summer, that I will live first unto God rather than others, or even you. In doing so, I promise to be the head over you, knowing that the Lord is my head. I love you, Summer, and I know that God has ordained this love. Because of this I desire to be your husband. Together we will be vessels for His service in accordance with His plan, so that in all areas of our life Christ will have the pre-eminence. And so throughout this life, no matter what may lie ahead of us, I pledge to you my life as a loving and faithful husband.”
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“I, Summer Lynn Kelley, by God’s grace take you, Russell Ripley Page, to be my husband. My heart overflows with joy and gratitude to our great Lord for bringing us together for His awesome purposes. The Christian marriage is a picture of the relationship of Christ and the Church, and by God’s amazing grace I will be a true reflection of it. I will first live unto our God and then unto you, loving you, obeying you, caring for you and ever seeking to please you. God has prepared me for you and so I will strengthen, help, comfort and encourage you. Therefore, throughout life, the pressure of the present and the uncertainties of the future I promise to you my life as an obedient, submissive and faithful wife. As you follow God, I follow you that we may grow in the likeness of Christ and that our home be a praise to Him. I know many new responsibilities face me and only by God’s grace can I fulfill them. I thank the Lord for the love that has bound our hearts and lives together in spiritual fellowship of marriage. As we enter upon the privileges and joys of life’s most holy relationship and begin together the great adventure of building a Christian home, I will look to you as head of our home as I have looked to Christ as head of the Church. I will be true to you by God’s grace, trusting in Him so long as we both shall live.”
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Praise the Lord for marriage – I don’t know who I would be today without my bride!
