thoughts on marriage

i went for a run this morning and on my playlist came a great tune.

you see, i'm kinda cheesy and like a whole variety of music when i run.

this sunny morning i got to hear a great tune called 'believer' by the canadian christian boy band, jake.

ha!

even writing it out makes me laugh!

anyhow, i couldn't help but reminisce that some good friends of ours used this song in their wedding slideshow.

they were young, like us, when they got married.

early 20's.

i remember when i was engaged and working at an accounting firm that people were just flabbergasted that i was so young and getting married.

i just shrugged and said, "yep!"

they just couldn't understand how i didn't want to go "find myself" and "live a little" before i got hitched.

it still makes me shake my head.

why on earth would i want to wait to marry?

"well, you don't know if he's the right one!"

well, guess what... he is!

i chose him... and i got married.

i made a commitment.

before God.

are there tough times?

have we gone through trouble in our marriage of 12+ years?

you bet!

have i had doubts?

probably.

but i'm committed.

i took a vow.

and even though i was a mere 20 years old at that time, those words meant something to me.

and now, a dozen years later, they mean even more to me.

because i choose to live out those vows each and every day.

the infatuation may have subsided... those butterfly feelings of new love may have faded...

but what's left is love.

real love.

it's not always pretty.

we're not always kind to one another...

but at the end of the day, we know that we're together 'til death do us part.

and here's the beauty of it all...

once you're married, you're joined together.

it's no mistake that God created the institution of marriage.

it reminds us of His union with us. 

when we became Christians, we were joined together with Christ.

essentially we made a vow with Him.

and guess what?

He's gonna stick it out through the good and the bad times.

do you think He ever thinks about leaving us?

nope.

case in point:

"Never will I leave you; never will I forsake you."

Hebrews 13:5

He stays committed to us... so we need to stay committed to Him.

just as we need to stay committed in our marriages... and other relationships.

our relationship with God is such a good reminder to continue to love those around us, even in the hard times.

in our hard times... and in our loved ones hard times.

even when we're a hot mess, lost and feeling alone, God is always there.

even when we don't feel Him there... heck, even when we don't want Him there.

He is always there.

He is never failing.

His love never fails.

no matter if we were young when we made the commitment to follow Christ or old, He never gives up on us.

marriage... with our spouses... and with our God.

it's something that needs continual care and work.

with prayer, love, devotion, honesty and commitment, there can be amazing fulfillment.

no matter how young you were when you committed yourself.