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Fiddler on the Roof

New Parish Match Making Advice

From days gone by there have been many different ways for a girl to get married. I think of Fiddler on the Roof and the Matchmaker who seems to be a busy body who gets into everyone’s business and does some gossiping, to the Native Americans and Islanders who got a horse, a cow, or whatever was available for the privilege of letting a man marry their daughter. There were of course large monetary dowries given in the high parts of our world… All through out history there have been arranged marriages, some as children, or before the children were born, some to merge families, or properties, or titles.

Now days we seem to have just one system for a girl to get married. Well, one that’s predominant – dating. In New Parish, Sarah gets very frustrated with that system and decides to try something old… As she begins to explore this old system she get some sage advice from the Church leader.

Excerpt from New Parish:

Chapter 4 – Girl Talk

“Brother Michael cleared his throat and said, “I wanted to take a few minutes before you go, to talk seriously with you about the decision you’re thinking about.”

            Sarah nodded and sipped her hot chocolate waiting for him to continue.

            “As you’ve seen here plural marriage can be done successfully, but I want you to know that there can, and have been problems in the system. This is a very serious commitment for a person to make whether that person is a man or a woman. Everyone in a man’s family have to be willing to accept each other, as is, without thinking they have the right to change the other people involved. I’ve had to work with lots of women, over the years, who think it’s their right or responsibility to “help another wife” to change into what that wife thinks the other wife should be. You have to go into this willing to accept everyone, as is. Please think about that and give it some serious thought.”

            “Okay,” Sarah said as he paused.

            “Next I want you to spend some time thinking about the process of match making and guidance that we do here. For this to work you need to be committed to working with the church leaders and doing a lot of your own prayer and soul searching. This is not the easy thing that some might think it is. We want to do what Heavenly Father wants us to do, so we put all the effort into it that this process requires of us all. We don’t have a list of men who have paid us to get them a wife, nor do we even listen to them if they come to us with admonitions to give them a wife. This is done with and through the woman’s permission and choice. We guide, she chooses, if we get an impression that maybe this man would be a good husband for her and she doesn’t agree, the process continues until everyone is in agreement. The other church leaders and I will do the work for this to happen for you, if you will agree to do the work with us.”

            Sarah nodded again, listening intently to what Brother Michael was saying.

            “The last thing I want to suggest to you is to take some time to ponder and pray about this decision. This is your life. Is this really what you want for your life? This lifestyle has many blessings but it can also be considered a curse to those who don’t have the capacity to accept it in all its varied and sometimes complicated components. I want you to understand that I only want the best for you. If this is truly what you want to do, then I’ll do everything in my power to make it happen for you. But, if you have doubts about it, then take the time to find the answers you need to put those doubts to rest, before you make your decision. Okay?”

            Still nodding Sarah said, “Yes, and thanks for helping me, and for letting me come out here and stay in your home, with your family.”

            “You’re very welcome,” Brother Michael said with a smile and a wink, “I’ve got nothing to hide… really.””

 

There’s a special going on now, so, if you buy the paperback you can get the ebook for free.

New Parish by Julie Worthington on Amazon.com

https://www.amazon.com/New-Parish-Julie-Worthington/dp/1732224005/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1535156774&sr=8-1&keywords=new+parish+by+julie+worthington

Also available at:

Barnesandnoble.com

https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/new-parish-julie-worthington/1129421210?ean=9781732224001  

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