In these mini-reflections, I highlight a point made in one of the recent AIM UK & Ireland Family Life classes and ask for your thoughts.
Penny and I taught about the four phases of marriage. We touched on the conundrum of newlyweds establishing their own identity while remaining part of the extended family.
Genesis 2.24 – “Therefore a man leaves his father and his mother and clings to his wife, and they become one flesh.”
A decisive ‘leaving’ is needed. Couples are forming a new identity. Doing so requires space and time alone together. However….
John 14.2 – “My Father’s house has many rooms; if that were not so, would I have told you that I am going there to prepare a place for you?”
In the ancient Near East, it was common for the groom to bring his new bride home to the family home and add a dwelling abutting the existing extended family home.
The challenge was to create a new family identity while still practically connected to the extended family. In some cultures, this is still the case today.
How do we help newly married couples create a distinct family identity while maintaining a healthy connection with their extended family?
Your thoughts? Please post here or email courses@aimukandireland.com.
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See you in the next one, and remember to AIM high!
God bless, Malcolm
www.aimukandireland.com
