Tuesday, October 2, 2007

Marriage Monday-Expectations

E-Mom is now hosting Marriage Mondays - which will fall the first Monday of the month. I am new to this whole blog networking thing, but basically you can check it out at the Chrysalis blog (linked at the left) and read other women's wisdom. Kinda cool.

For my part I feel led to talk about the expectations that we come into marriage with. My sister is newly engaged and will be wed in June of next year. As I watch her with her fiance I am reminded of how sweet those first years are together. You are so blissfully in love and completely gaga over this person that God has brought to you. For me, meeting Jay when I was barely 14 years old only added to the "sugar factor". But then I remember the first time he dispappointed me. I don't mean like he didn't get the door for me. I mean, like he really disappointed me in a huge way that broke my heart and left me licking my wounds. Who was this person? The Jay I married was nearly perfect. He was never going to hurt me. And yet, here I was, married to a man that had..... dare I say it.....FLAWS! Oh the horror of that realization. Could it be that he was mere flesh and blood??? At this point many marriages begin to flounder. The finger pointing begins and it is a downward spiral. BUT, if you will set your pride aside for a moment and remember that you too are human, that Christ died on the cross for you "while you were yet a sinner" then perhaps your righteous indignation will not be able to survive long. You have the opportunity to forgive and show grace, which is also a way to become more like your saviour. And oh, the beauty that comes next. Think about it. How do you feel when you know you have disapointed the Lord? And when you go to Him and ask for forgiveness and you feel that peace wash over you what happens in your heart? Your love grows! If your marriage survives disappointment it only gets stronger! If your love can survive testing it becomes more powerful and more beautiful. You can look back at the trials and say,"hey, look what our love was able to overcome!" It is yet another example of how marriage is a perfect picture of Christ and His church. His love for us will never fail!

Fail

And above all things have fervent love for one another, for 'love will cover a multitude of sins'.
1 Peter 4:8

5 comments:

Susannah said...

This is beatiful! And full of truth and wisdom. Thanks for linking up at Marriage Monday. Blessings, e-Mom :~)

Denise said...

Such an awesome post.

Heather said...

Thanks Guys! Denise, I just went and checked out your blog. Are you seriously in Chattanooga??? I lived there til I was 9 - in Ooltewah. Very fond memories for me. And Jason proposed to me at the top of Look Out Mountain(:

Lindsay said...

Hi Heather... Awesome and very true post. May share it with my student workers or folk I know who are "very much in love." I'd forgotten that Jason proposed atop Lookout Mt. Have y'all thought of assisting at marriage retreats?

Heather said...

Lindsay,
Of course(: And no we haven't ever helped out at a marriage retreat. I think we've only actualy gone to ONE in our entire marriage! Perhaps more time for that when the kids are older(: