Marriage Monday~

I have been thinking and pondering a great deal lately about marriage. All sorts of aspects of marriage have been moving through my brain like waves on the ocean. Affections, responsibilities, companionship, sex, joys, irritations, helps, " honey do" lists for me and he, loves, dislikes, thoughts, cares and hopes. Like great heaving waves ~ flowing in and out like the tides of blue ocean waters.

How I love being married. I too like to read, caught that habit from my hubby. He got me started in loving to read good books about marriage, godly books, when we were in our early years. How many many books down through the years I have read. Some he read to me, after a long day with our littles. Many we have read to each other or together separately. Dave has always said one of the reasons we have such a close, deep relationship is because we 'work' at it~He has always had a 'marriage book' on his night table, either starting it, in the middle of it or just finished reading it. Some were fun ones, talking about sex. Some were deep theological ones.

I know we are blessed by God's grace in our relationship. It isn't us ~ it really really is the Lord. I am not just saying this, it is true. We often at night 'say it' to each other. I am a real sinner. He is a real sinner. We manufacture 'idols' so easily. So constantly. So without thought, we sin. But for the grace of God we each could be sour, bitter, angry, and hateful partners. Yet, because HE died for me and my honey, we have a sweet, yielding, deep, abiding, loving and forgiving relationship. One the Lord smiles on. It is amazing to consider, HE gives us the the GRACE and then HE blesses us for having it!

5 years into marriage I realized it was me, the one who the Lord was interested in changing. I was selfish and self centered. The LORD woke me up! It isn't about what I want, need, hope for or even see. It is about being what the Lord wants me to be. I am so thankful HE did wake me up! Marriage brings out the good and the bad in all of us. It is a sanctifying tool the Lord uses to show us our own black hearts. I cringe when I hear someone 'complaining' about their husband. When I dare think to complain the LORD says "Sherry, it is you". Take that huge log out of your own eye and then you can see the splinter in your honeys eye~ it is all perspective!

I guess the reason I am thinking so much about marriage is, our 40th is next month. If I could do it all over again ~ a thousand times ~ YES....I would marry the love of my life. Hard at times, but fruit gained through it all.

But oh the JOY!
~ through the years,
~ in love,
~ in struggles,
~ in funny moments,
~through the losses,
~ in cares,
~ in sorrows,
~ in victories,
~ through separations,
~ always together in hearts,
~through the hard times
~ in our gains,
~ in our tears,
~ in our delights

God has made us knit together like a beautiful tapestry. How we thank HIM ~ How we praise HIM ~ How GREAT the Fathers Love!

If you are married ~ stop today ~ and tell the one God has given you ~ how grateful, how thankful, how delighted you are that GOD has given this one to you. Remember you are a sinner and so is he. God has made a way! Do as we do ~ let your sweet voices ring together thanking our Father for HIS GREAT love to YOU as husband and wife! Make that be the last words you say ~ as you go to sleep at night ~ we do!

Delighting in Jesus today, hugs, Lynette