Gail and I have been married for 25 years (300 months). For 25 years I have been able to delight in Gail and enjoy her company. Time has flown by. I thank God that I did email Gail 26 years ago. I almost did not. Life would have been very different. I have been blessed by having Gail in my life.
For our 25th wedding anniversary we went on an Alaska Cruise. We enjoyed the time together in Alaska and on the boat. The weather was on the cloudy and rainy side, and in fact, it was stormy for the first day on board, but we had sunny weather for Glacier Bay and for Ketchikan. We did see a bunch of wildlife, bears, caribou, moose, deer, otters, bald eagles, and other animals. We learned some Alaska history and saw some beautiful scenery. Aboard the ship, we were overwhelmed with the abundance of food and alcohol. The service was over the top. There was some nice entertainment onboard too. It was a nice way to celebrate.
Back 25 years ago, I was worried that I did not know Gail very well. Today, I can say the same thing, even though I know her much better than any other person. And yet though I do not know her as well as I would like, we are connected. Marriage binds a man and a woman together. There is a mystery involved that binds us and connects us. I am attracted to Gail. I delight in her and I enjoy being with her. We are bound together for life, and it is a good thing. Also being connected means we can help each other grow to be more Christ-like.
Today, marriage is discounted as just a social construct that can get in the way of one’s own identity and plans. That is a very selfish way of looking at marriage. The individual is not the basic unit of society like many think today. Rather, the family is society’s basic unit with marriage being the centerpiece of the family. God gave us marriage, so that families can be raised and society can be well formed.
We mess things up by our selfish self-centered way of thinking. Marriage requires commitment and unconditional selfless sacrificial love. We give ourselves to each other in marriage. We serve each other, looking to the needs of the other out of love. Marriage is both romantic love and commitment. It is one way we can break out of our selfish self-centered way of thinking.
Marriage can be a way to demonstrate God’s love, grace, and mercy. A good marriage is a picture of Christ and the Church (Ephesians 5:29-33). We, Christians, are bound to Jesus like a husband and wife are bound to each other. So let us, married people, work at having a good marriage and so reflect the love God has for us. (I recommend “Marriage in Christ” as a great marriage seminar to take to improve your marriage.)
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