It seems that what goes around, comes around. Jacob had deceived his brother and betrayed his trust. Now, when he came to the point of fulfilling the obligation to get Rachel, his beloved and preferred bride, his father-in-law deceived him! But Jacob loved Rachel so much, he was willing to look past this deception and work a total of 14 years just to have her as his wife.
So Jacob served seven years to get Rachel, but they seemed like only a few days to him because of his love for her.
Well, some might say men always have to put in a bit of work to get a woman to agree to marry them. But in the culture of Jacob’s time, it was typical for a man to pay a bride-price to take a wife. There was no set price, although in some cases men might work several months or even several years (as Jacob did) as a substitute for up-front payment, especially in circumstances where the bride was too young at the time of betrothal or if there were other special situations.
Think of a goal that might take seven hours, seven days, or even seven months for you to complete. Make a chart on a poster for yourself that is divided into equal blocks of time leading up to your goal. As you complete each block of time, color it in on your chart as a visual reminder of your progress. Some goals you might consider: finishing a difficult school project, reading a book, planning and making a meal for your family, or raising funds to attend a Christian camp or a church event.
God, thank You for showing us how to love one another and how to persevere in love. Amen.