Yes, I have become a part of this phenomenon. It just so happens, however, that I have been a fan for quite some time, actually. (Just ask my family...) Anyway, I have been enjoying Masterpiece Theatre's The Complete Jane Austen. I have been pretty impressed with some of the new movie interpretations they have made for this event. (Though, I have been equally as unimpressed with at least one of them.)
But, it just so happens that I was reminded again of a most interesting quote from one of my favorite Jane Austen books. "Happiness in marriage is entirely a matter of chance." I suppose it is obvious how unfortunately true these words are, at least in the mind of the individual who spoke them. She took her chance in the novel, and I think she discovered how much more happy she could have been had she found out more about the "defects" of the man she married. Ah, well, it is not my purpose to poke fun at Charlotte, but rather to contrast this thought with another, wiser statement: "Happiness in family life is most likely to be achieved when founded upon the teachings of the Lord Jesus Christ." This statement struck me quite powerfully when we attended the worldwide leadership training on Saturday. How very different these statements present marriage and family life. It seems quite obvious to me which of them I would rather believe - I want to believe it is not chance, but that I can work to make my own family life happy, even when it may not be very easy.
What do you think Jane Austen would write if she had the full knowledge of the gospel? Perhaps the same thing, coming from the lips of the unfortunate Charlotte.
Monday, February 11, 2008
Austen-mania
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1 comments:
I should state up front that I am not a fan of Jane Austen, but I do find that there is a common mentality that the only way we are happy in this life, especially in love, is by pure luck or chance. Yet I find when you talk to older adults (like the ones I used to do research with) they would all say that happiness in their marriage was due to a lot of work, and a lot of ignoring the faults of the other, no matter how much they bothered them. A lot of these people had been married many years, and I found their comments quite interesting. I also think that they line up with the teachings of the church, to be forgiving, and have Christ-like love for our spouse. Having said that, do you think Christ would care that my husband constantly (and I do mean constantly) forgets things, and I am always on his case about it? No, he would probably say that I should look past it and buy him a planner. Those things are not important. It is knowing the person that you love, and loving them for who they are - not focusing on their faults. You know why you married them, and that is what you should focus on. And the only way to do that is to have a Christ-like love for them. The only way to do that is to work hard at it...those things we are suppose to do everyday (basis sunday school answers) help a lot. When you get away from that it is a lot harder to do, and it seems more like luck if you have a "good relationship day". But it definately comes more with following Christ, and a lot of work. And I think that is the design that our relationships are suppose to take... :)
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