A young

pastor was asked to do his first wedding.

He had

studied how to do weddings in pastoral care class in

seminary, but he had never done one. So he talked to a

retired pastor about conducting the wedding ceremony. The

older pastor concluded his instruction by advising,

"If you ever forget what to say, just quote

scripture. Scripture is always appropriate."

So the big

day came and the pastor was as nervous as the bride and

groom.

He had

rehearsed every detail over and over in his mind, and the

ceremony was smooth as glass until he came to the point

of pronouncing them husband and wife. But his mind went

blank. It was an awkward moment. Then it came to him,

"just quote scripture." So he threw out the

first scripture that came to mind: "Father, forgive

them, for they know not what they do."

Maybe it

should be more like, "Father, help them, for they'll

need all the help they can get."

Marriage

does get interesting, and sometimes complicated. We have

the wonderful challenge and opportunity of taking two

unique persons from two diverse backgrounds and of

blending our lives together as we build a healthy

marriage in which God is honored. It's not always easy,

but I believe that people can still find fulfillment in

marriage as God designed it even in this day and time.

Some

children were interviewed about marriage. Maybe there's a

word of wisdom in here somewhere for us. The following is

a sampling of questions:

How do

you decide whom to marry ? "You got to find somebody who

likes the same stuff. Like, if you like sports, she

should like it that you like sports, and she should keep

the chips and dip coming." (Alan, age 10). "No

person really decides before they grow up who they're

going to marry. God decides it all way before, and you

get to find out later who you're stuck with."

(Kirsten, age 10).

What age

is the right age to get married ? "No age is good to get

married at. You got to be a fool to get married."

(Freddie, age 6).

What do

you think your mom and dad have in common ? "Both don't want any more

kids." (Lori, age 8).

What do

most people do on a date ? "On the first date, they just

tell each other lies, and that usually gets them

interested enough to go for a second date." (Mary,

age 10).

When is

it OK to kiss someone ? "When they're rich."

(Pam, age 7). "The law says you have to be 18, so I

wouldn't want to mess with that." (Curt, age 7).

Is it

better to be single more married ? "It's better for girls to be

single but not for boys. Boys need someone to clean up

after them." (Anita, age 9).

How

would the world be different if people didn't get married ? "There would be a lot of kids

to explain, wouldn't there?" (Kelvin, age 8).

How

would you make your marriage work ? "Tell your wife that she

looks pretty even if she looks like a truck."

(Ricky, age 10).