Katy the Young Bride

I enjoyed  Elisabeth Elliot's radio broadcast "Gateway to Joy" and have a few of the transcripts bookmarked on my computer, most connected with some of her readings from the book Stepping Heavenward by Elizabeth Prentiss. The reading on one particular day was from some of the thoughts Katy had when she was first married. Or may I say struggles Katy had. Katy was married on January 16, 1837, the day after her birthday. Her wedding day reflections were pretty good ones, I rather think:

"Yesterday was my birthday and today is my wedding day. We meant to celebrate the one with the other, but Sunday would come this year on the 15th! I am dressed and have turned everybody out of this room, where I have suffered so much mortification and experienced so much joy, that before I give myself to Earnest and before I leave home forever, I may once more give away myself to God. I have been much too absorbed in my earthly love and am shocked to find how it fills my thoughts, but I do want to belong to God. I will begin my married life in His fear, depending on Him to make me an unselfish, devoted wife."

But then, after having been back from the honeymoon for just a short while, we see a regression. On February 16th she writes:

"Our honeymoon ends today. There hasn't been quite as much honey in it as I expected. I supposed that Earnest would be home every evening at least, and that he would read aloud and have me play and sing and that we should have delightful times together. But now he has got me, he seems satisfied and goes about his business as if he had been married 100 years. "

After some more unfortunate reflections and a less than pleasant confrontation with her new husband, she wrote this on February 17th:

"February 17. Mrs. Embury has been here today. I longed to compare notes with her and find out whether it really is my fault that I'm not quite happy, but I could not bear to open my heart to her on so sacred a subject. We had some general conversation, however, which did me good for the time at least. She said she thought one of the first lessons a wife should learn is self-forgetfulness. I should like to know if there is any reason on earth why a woman should learn self-forgetfulness, that does not apply to a man."  

Mrs. Elliot made some good points on this that I wanted to pass on. Quoting Colossians 3:12-21, she mentions that as a good passage for parents to pass on to their children who are leaving home to be married: "And for a recipe for a happy marriage and a peaceful home, a passage that I often give to young couples when they are getting married is in Colossians 3. If any couple would take this passage for their rule of life, I don't think there would ever be a divorce."

You know, I would agree with Mrs. Elliot. And I do believe Katy learned this as the years went by. And one many of us continue to learn.