Commitment

Usually, I struggle to know what to write for a devotional. But as I write this one, my wedding is a week away. It’s an obvious choice to reflect on the nature of the commitment I am preparing to make. And I have been—in the few moments between work and wedding planning and life—thinking about what it is to promise another person my devotion and love for the rest of my days on this earth.

It’s an unknowable promise. Though I have a sense of who I am in the moment, I cannot know all that I will become. And even less so can I know who my partner will become. As much as I trust his character, it’s simply the case that I do not know what will come to pass and how it will shape each of us. I have known my partner for years, and we have grown stronger together; the experiences leading up to making this commitment are reassuring to me that we can and will handle the unknowable, the unforeseen, reasonably well.

So, my promise and commitment will be made from a place of faith. I am surprised that I am not struggling much with this concept, having spent so much of my life trying to control and enforce order to achieve my ends.  But this journey—marriage—can only be taken with faith; there is no map pointing out all the landmarks up ahead. I am ready to step forward with my partner and start charting our course. As I think about this commitment, it feels simple and right. No one’s future is mapped out for them, and though I do not know how this choice will shape my own, I am willing to go where this path leads.

Creator, thank you for the blessing of companionship. May we be good to those who share our paths.

Elizabeth is a Peace member who lives in Chicago.