Recently Wil the Great had to travel out of town. He was supposed to be gone Tuesday to Friday. No big deal for most couples, I’m sure. The thing is Wil the Great and I usually travel together. We actually prefer it that way. We enjoy each other’s company and road trips especially, provide us the much needed time to simply converse…uninterrupted. This time, however he was going alone and was almost certainly going to miss our oldest child’s birthday.
Through a wonderful change of plans he was able to cut the trip back a day. He’d be back late but he’d be back on Moriah’s birthday!! I could hardly wait. Two nights of him away was about as much as I could stand. As the minutes ticked down I was bursting inside as I anticipated the text message that said we’re within the city limits. When I could stand it no more I took to Facebook to express my giddy school girl eagerness to see my best friend walk through the door. Here’s what I said:
–That I-know-it’s-just-two-more-hours-but-I-can’t-wait-for-your-return-I-realize-there’s a-big-hole-when-you’re-gone feeling! Wives do you know what I mean?!–
I try to reserve mushy posts for Valentines Day and Anniversaries but for some reason I was just unashamed to “let my marriage show.” Most of the time we’re quick to “share” all the negatives associated with marriage. I mean think about it, we usually tend to down play our affection for our husband or wife because to express it, is perceived as weakness. If you’re a wife- loving, honoring, and submitting to your husband makes you “antiquated” or “stupid”. If you’re a husband- loving, considering, or valuing your wife’s opinions makes you “whipped” or “henpecked”. Sadly we allow people even friends to pressure us into concealing our marriage.
What if you were to let it show? What if when someone asked you to make a commitment or take on a new task you proudly said, “Let me check with Josh, he may have something planned of which I’m unaware.” Or the next time your boss asks you to stay late on short notice what if you said, “That shouldn’t be a problem, let me just speak with my wife. I want to make sure she’s able to plan around this, or push dinner back.”
When we let our marriage show we are actually displaying a love that mirrors the love Christ has for the Church. Love is considerate, so what’s wrong with letting people see that? Love is committed why do we need to hide it?
Wil the Great and I have a wonderful friend who is single and hangs out with our family quite a bit. When he saw my Facebook post he gave me a good-natured hard time. He later joked at our breakfast table saying, Wil and I need to “quit being so married!” We all laughed at that comment. But I couldn’t get it out of my mind. SO MARRIED!! That’s exactly what I want to be. I thought I was content to be married but if there is something more or deeper or even further reaching, then that’s what I want.
So to the sales associate who tried to get me to switch banks right inside the store and get $25 instantly!! I could have simply said “I’m not interested.” But my aim is to let my marriage show. So to her I replied, “Oh I’d have to discuss this with my husband, we never make decisions like this independently of one another.” Ah yes the wonderful feeling of being “so married.”
How will you let your marriage show this week? What impact could it have on those around you? Better than that how will it make your spouse feel to know you wear your marriage proudly? Best of all what joy will it bring to the heart of the Father to witness a movement of people who understand the love connection represented by marriage and are unashamed to let it show?
One of the best sermons I’ve ever heard was on John 3:16. It was entitled “For God SO Loved the World” the entire message focused on just how much God loves us. He didn’t JUST love us, He SO loved us!! He SO loved us that He gave His Son as the payment for our debt! Ponder that!
Every chance you get let your marriage show! Let it show through the eye rolls, sighs, and snide remarks. Bless God for your spouse and the utter relief of navigating life together. And when you’re done, practice being SO married this week.
Meeke
Thanks for the story Miss Meeke, more folks need to realize that marriage is a committment of two people uniting under our Heavenl Father’s Blessing. Thanks to Him I still Love my Beautiful Bride of almost 29 years. Has our relationship always been perfect: NO, but we are still together, because of His great Love for us. And we look to His Word for guideance in all of our affairs. Just like in your story we talk and dicuss most all of our purchases. Thanks again for the message of being, “SO MARRIED,” and I hoping and praying folks will grasp ahold and hang on…<…
God bless you Jeff!!! 29 years!!! Praise the Lord! I should be reading your blog entries. I’m certain you and your wonderful wife have more than a few things to teach me and Wil the Great! Thanks so much for visiting Better than Newlyweds and a special thank you for reading my post. I can’t tell you how great a blessing it is indeed.
Meeke, I love being “so married”. Girls at work tell me all the time that my face just lights up when I talk about my husband, Calvin. That makes me feel good. He is my best friend, lover, and the one person that I can always count on, no matter what. I fall deeper in love with him everyday. Last Dec. 1st, we celebrated 28 years so married.
Donna!!! 28 years!!! And still falling deeper in love! I love this! Thank you so much for reading this blog post and sharing your personal story. I love the way you said your co-workers describe your face when you talk about your husband, that’s another perfect example of being so married. I really do believe everything we do and even the way we do it speaks to being so married. We allow people the opportunity to see what God intended for marriage. It’s not meant to be a ball and chain rather it’s a ball of an experience. (not to gloss over tough seasons- we certainly have them) If more of us so marrieds began to just let it show, who knows but maybe we would unknowingly pull someone back from the brink of divorce. Ya know? Maybe someone could look at our marriage and say “I really want that, I’m going to give it another day or week or month.” And in that time the Holy Spirit mends the marriage and knits them together. Who knows? I do know this, there is joy associated with being married so imagine the even greater joy and contentment associated with being so married! God bless you my fellow sojourner! Continue shining brightly for Calvin 🙂 and Jesus!! Long live marriage!!
Meeke
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