Home on the Range

We recently got a beautiful wedding invitation for a friend of ours from Rwanda. He lives and works here now, but is traveling back to Rwanda for a month to get married. His wedding invitation is in 3 languages... Kinyarwanda, French and English... to accommodate his many friends and family. We've been to a few 'Rwandan weddings' held here, and they were lovely and very symbolic.

One of the things I love most about the Rwandan marriages, is that they incorporate the 'Bride Price' (really). Generally, this involves a number of livestock, usually cows, which the groom pays the family of the bride for the privilege of her hand in marriage. The bride price is negotiated between the groom and the bride's father. I LOVE this!! Having three daughters, we could benefit... AND, having our three beautiful, charming daughters, we've been sitting on a virtual cattle ranch! Of course, I guess we'd have to move to Rwanda, unless this custom catches on soon here in Pennsylvania!

Removing my tongue from my cheek, tho', I'd like to add that there's something to this idea of a bride price. Every girl wants to feel cherished, special, and valued and it's a wise man who realizes this and lives it. You may be familiar with the story of the man (Johnny) who wanted to marry a girl in his village (Sarita), who most regarded as homely and shy. Her father would've considered it a bargain to get 2 cows for her, yet Johnny made him take 8 cows -- the highest price ever paid in that village! Time passed, and Sarita blossomed into a poised, charming beauty... she was so impacted by her new husband's esteem and opinion of her, that she lived up to his perspective and became an 8 cow woman. His value of her brought out the best in her, and he couldn't lose! Her father, on the other hand, should've had some lessons in building self-esteem in his kids.

On a larger scale, yet even more personal one, may I note that Jesus paid the biggest price for His bride... that's me, and I hope you, too. I surely fall short of the value of the bride price, but I know that when I try to be what He's 'called' me and try to live up to His perspective, it brings out the best in me, and I can't lose.

Having said all of this... we are NOT accepting any offers of livestock!

The story of Johnny & Sarita is from Winning in the Land of Giants by William Mitchell.