Young and Married
In August 11,2016 at 21 years of age I said the most exciting yet scariest thing... "I do". I had agreed to marry my spouse for better or for worse to death do us apart, that's a big deal right there. That means that no matter how pretty or ugly it gets there is no going back; once you clock in there is no clocking out, so you really don't know what to expect until you're in! lol. But in all honesty marriage is a beautiful long term commitment. You get to share in jokes, memories,intimacy, laughs, sadness,pain, and come to realize that even at your worst you are still loved.
Opposites attract?
A few months into our marriage while everything is still fresh and new my husband and I were also aware that the both of us were two broken people by nature joining together. Meaning everything he has been accustomed to in his life is now blended with mine. For example:
He is an extravert; I'm an introvert.
He leaves the shower curtain opened; I keep it closed.
He uses a new towel everyday; I change mines every other day as needed.
He snores; I don't.
He is patient; I'm a little impatient ( I need more grace God)
He loves to read; I love hiking.
He is always late; I like to be on time.
He is messy; I'm organized.
Did you notice the difference? Being different can be pretty awesome but at the same time challenging. I love my husband just the way he is with or without flaws that's what makes him so special to me. I get to learn things from him just as he learns things from me as well. I remember the day my husband came back from a men's retreat in Anadarko, Oklahoma and said to me " Honey, God spoke to me while I was gone and told me that my job is to love your wounds." As soon as I heard this I was drawn to humility. Because like all of us we've been hurt and broken one way or another in the past and a lot of those things might still come up in your today and the fact that God is wanting to heal where you are wounded shows how concerned He is with your hurt, God loves you and cares for every little detail of your life; He sees it all.
God's role
God doesn't just want to play a role in your life He wants to be involved in it. When my husband spoke those words to me it felt as if God was giving me an invitation for me to allow Him to heal my wounds by loving me like no other no matter how good or ugly it seemed. To this day I thank my husband for being so strong and being a willing vessel for the power of God to flow through him.
The fact that we are both flawed makes me realize the reality of how messed up we are since the beggining and yet God sees pass our flaws and instead loves us unconditionally. If theres any other other area in your life where God speaks the most it will be in your marriage. Why?
God created marriage for success!
God created marriage for it to succeed, there is no failing in marriage. How do you keep your marriage successful? Allowing God to be the foundation of your marriage. Invite Christ to be the center of it, God is eager to be a part of your marriage. One of the ways we grow spiritually and individually is by leaving room for our spouse to lovingly expose what needs to be pruned so that God can come, cleanse and heal what has been broken in the past. Our spouses are one of the greatest gifts from God. What a great opportunity to sacrificially serve your spouse just as Christ did and gave up His life for us. You can do the same for your spouse. We are called to love one another deeply and look not for your own interest but for the interest of others. How can you be more Christlike in your marriage?
Scriptures:
Philippians 2:4
1 Peter 4:8
John 15:13
1 Corinthians 13:1-13
Ephesians 5:25
Proverbs 18:22
Jeremiah 31:3