Marriage

I've said this to many of my friends, and some people I've talked to at the store, but I wanted to put it on here, because I know it is so true, and I know it is beautiful. It is something Chandler said in a sermon once that has come to my mind at least once a day since. I believe it was a blessing from God.

He said: (paraphrasing)

"Ultimately, marriage, in the fullest sense that only believers can know, is about two people living so intimately together, and brushing against each other so much, that wounds, scars, and sins that are buried deep down in the dark, and would otherwise never see the light of day, come to the surface, and once there, by the mercies of Jesus, are healed, or put in motion for healing, and these two people come to know Christ more fully than they ever could have known him alone."

Wow. I just sat there, and thought, "You are married." I mean, I wanted to stand up and applaud right there. That is an insight from God. It truly is. What a merciful insight. That is not what we see in the movies, or in most books. It's one of the things I love about the book, A Severe Mercy. While romance is good, it can never be everything. It can never be the end goal. It will, by itself, shrivel up and die. Marriage, in the end, has to be about Christ, not about us.

And what a blessing it is. What a means of grace in a married couple's life. It is such a gift. I pray that we can see marriage in this light.