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On Marriage
by Laura Swindon-Ross I was much grieved the other day, to see two beautiful and amazing people part ways. They had been married for three years, and had no doubt had their fair share of happiness and disagreements. One particular very long running and arduous disagreement caused them to decide to go ahead and live separate lives; luckily, there were no children involved. This situation set me to wondering - what exactly is it, that makes a 'happy' marriage? The songs tell us that it is love, but I think that this is much too simple an explanation. If marriage is simply love, then that one little word must surely cover an awful lot of potential eventualities! There is no doubt that marriage is all about love, buts it's also all about what love means. Love means so very many things! It means giving of oneself, it means compromise, tenacity, forgiveness, patience, care and understanding (all beyond the call of apparent duty!), but most of all, love means having faith. Love means having the faith to know that no matter what, you're willing to try and learn; you're willing to try and remember that the way you see the world, is not the only way that the world around you can be viewed. You're not always right! Put yourself in the other person's shoes occasionally. Is the way you're treating them, the way that you would want to be treated? Is this precious jewel of a person, this husband or this wife that you happened upon, and which you are now so privileged to have in your life set upon a worthy and resilient enough pedestal? Love is also about remembering - remembering how you felt that first time that you met, and allowing that feeling, no matter how it matures, grows or changes to filter through each and every step that you take, each decision that you make, in the process of nurturing those building blocks that make up that oh-so-precious entity that we call love. I like to think of marriage as a long conversation: one which knows the essence of right, the forgiveness of wrong and which is born, nurtured and sustained in the sight of the God - the source of all love. If you remember this always, and occasionally look into the mirror and see there the beloved other in yourself, I believe you will have more than half a chance to get that marriage right! Oh - and if you prayerfully call on God, He will help you to work what others may call miracles. Never let yourself forget this - the experience of marriage is so much richer in His sight! This work is copyright, all rights reserved. I'm a teacher and Christian writer. Article Source: http://www.faithwriters.com |