First a garden was planted that needed care;
The task of tending it was purposely prepared.
Then man was formed from creation’s sod
And breathed to life by creation’s God.
The man’s sense of duty to provide and protect
Is mingled with a hunger for honor and respect.
Made in God’s image, he’s charged with those two roles;
To be his wife’s hero is his silent goal.

When man sought a companion with whom to share,
He found none suitable among the creatures there.
So, deep in sleep, from his opened side,
God took a rib, and He shaped a bride.
The woman was fashioned from a place near man’s heart;
As wife, she must feel cherished as friend and counterpart.
Made in God’s image to nurture and relate,
She aches for what’s hidden in her husband mate.

As Designer of Marriage, we pray, O Lord,
You join this union to create a three-fold cord.
Become to them a High Tower of rest,
Where hurting hearts can be healed and blessed.
Let wisdom instruct them as Your arms wrap their home.
While walking in Your footsteps, may their feet never roam.
Lord, help this couple stay lovers to the end,
As, hand in hand – heart to heart, their stories blend.