I’m an Ordained Minister, how about them apples! There is really not much to it. You go online, type in some personal information, pay a small fee and presto! You can marry and bury people in about 45 states. You don’t even need to know the 10 Commandments, you just need a valid credit card.
I took this plunge a several years ago so I could officiate the wedding of my niece when she was unable to secure a “real preacher.” Since then, I have officiated the weddings of two nephews and one more niece. Without question a highlight of my life. I am honored they ask, and I invest time into doing a good job for them.
My go to scripture is 1 Corinthians, chapter 13, as it is in most weddings. But verse 7 to me in the most powerful and possibly most underrated words written, LOVE PROTECTS.
I read a story where the soldiers during the Civil War were given Valentine’s Day cards to send home to their sweethearts, they simply read; LOVE PROTECTS.
Protect is defines as; “keep safe from harm or injury.” Pretty simple definition, but it goes much deeper than that. I am sure any of us would get up in the middle of the night to protect our loved ones from an intruder. But for me anyway, the protection written about in Corinthians reaches beyond just physical protection, but into emotional and spiritual protection as well.
This may sound a bit silly, but protecting the ones I love is being like a sailor, or a pirate if you want, that is perched up in the crow’s nest high above the ship searching for obstacles and land.
You all have seen the movies where the sailor/pirate is screaming from the crow’s nest to turn the ship right or left to avoid rocks or shallow water. They are guiding the ship from a much better viewpoint. Everyone else down on the ship is blind to the dangers ahead and is completely dependent on the person’s eyes from the crow’s nest.
Protecting those we love carries the same responsibility. It is my responsibility to remain on a constant lookout and help guide my family and friends through obstacles that could possibly cause them harm. I guide not because I am smarter, but because I have ended up smashed on the rocks before and I have learned from it.
I kind of know what to look for, and I decided years ago to base all my decision out of love. Even when it did not make complete sense at the time, it does now.
It appears to me that providing physical protection is the easiest of them all. I mean how often do you get into a physical altercation? Emotional and spiritual harm is not as obvious and can be sneaky and more damaging. Simply put, I know there are things I cannot allow into my life, and I must remain on a diligent lookout to avoid them.
The older I get, the clearer my view from the crow’s nest becomes, and hopefully fewer shipwrecks I encounter.
Here is what I told my soon-to-be nephew Neil as he was standing in front of me and holding my nieces’ hand. Remember, I’m not a professional!
“You, Neil, are to be one step out front protecting yourself, your marriage and your wife from things that can destroy them. Remain on a diligent lookout and see that harmful things are not allowed in. Women admire a man that is a protector, and every man wants to be admired by their girl. If you are not out there protecting her and your marriage from things that can destroy it, then the admiration of the one you love is doubtful.”
You may or may not agree with that statement, but it was how my dad did it and he was my hero. My dad was a protector, and the apple has not fallen far from the tree. Like father like son, like mother like daughter. Love protects.
This Valentine’s Day ask your Valentine if they feel protected. You might be surprised by the answer.
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Todd Howey is a columnist for BrownwoodNews.com whose articles will appear on Fridays.
