Perspective on "Tying"

Frustrated, our youngest girl, Lydia, sits here again and again, with her little tennis shoes and their very long laces. Over and over she works the white strings to make them into the pretty loops that I show her as an example. "Come on Lydia, take the left string and make it go around the mountain and through the tunnel!" "Mom, I can't make it do that!" I hear repeatedly. She's five and we will continue to work on this one task until she is successful, even though she is convinced she will NEVER tie shoes by herself. Until that day when she can tie, she will trip over the trailing dirty strings and need the help of others.
Working equally as diligent, but with a task that has much harsher consequences if not successfully completed, is our oldest daughter, Hannah. She is focused these days on "tying" of a different sort. With that sparkling jewelry on her left hand, she is working to learn all she can about "Tying the Knot" and making that knot foolproof. She wants to be part of a KNOT that can never be untied, but by death. She will be one of the laces and Erik the other. The result, a strong knot the parts of which are indistinguishable as separate pieces. "Therefore a man shall leave his father and his mother and hold fast to his wife, and they shall become one flesh." (Genesis 2:24)
Wise counsel, God's Word, parental involvement, time in prayer together and alone, learning to yield, listen, and apply Biblical principals to problems are the ingredients of making this knot hold fast for their forever. As parents we must not sit back and "let them figure it out." Now, prior to the wedding ceremony and marriage, is our time to be very much an active part of this "tying" process. The tricky part is knowing when to be silent, when to nod, when to open up, teach OR send her out with a bit of coaching to work through some issue on her own. We constantly pray for wisdom as we have the two of them here for an evening of "just talking." We want our words to be seasoned with grace, full of truth and helpful to them.
Oh, dearest Father in Heaven, how hard this time is in so many ways. We rejoice with Hannah and Erik because we know how amazing a strong marriage can be. But we also plead for them before your throne because we know how very difficult it is to knot one sinful person to another for life. Help us work through the difficulties with grace always on our tongue. Give us words, wisdom and courage to do Your will now for the preparation of this daughter and this man for a lifetime of serving you. May they never seek riches, or the approval of others, rather may they be wholly focused on you and the needs of others for all their years together on this earth. And Lord, help Lydia with her frustration and help me when we get to the two-wheeler and all that running! Or better yet, help me find a wiling brother for that one!!! Amen