The Eyes Have It

I started off this week feeling very alone. It all started Monday morning when I woke up only to the reality that Yep, today is Monday and my hubby is gone off to work out of town for the next 5 days. You would think that after 2 years, I would have adjusted to this situation. I thought about all of the things that I miss about him: his kind and loving eyes, his goofy sense of humor, his commitment to trying to improve our family life, his warm and loving embrace. Then, a thought came to me.

Well yeah.... of course you miss him that much and more.... you miss him cuz he is part of you.... you two were meant to be.

Then I began to think about the first couple that God so divinely matched. The book of Genesis not only tells the story of creation, but it tells of the significance of the first couple's relationship,  "and they become one flesh".

Wow, what an eye opener for me.... you see this is not the first time that my beloved and I have been forced to live apart. Funny though, the separation early in our relationship caused more emotional distance between us than the actual miles that separated us. Now, after more than 20 years, the distance has made us realize all the more how much we love each other.

I finally see us for who we are and (even more important) why God brought the two of us together. The road we have taken through life has had many twists and turns, quite a few potholes, and even some construction detours. The difference now is that we have become one. It doesn't matter whether we travel together or temporarily apart, we are heading to the same place. 

When we met, one of the first things that drew me toward my hubby was the kindness in his eyes. Now when I look into my hubby's eyes, I see all of the laughter and tears, joy and sorrow, love and understanding that we have shared over the years. When I look into his eyes, I can see that we see each other for who and what we are. We are one and that's what God wanted.

I thank God for my hubby. I will never grow tired of gazing into his loving eyes.

Til Death Do Us Part

This colorful silhouette emanates the love of this newlywed couple. Whenever I see a couple made for each other like these two, it makes me so thankful that we have a loving God who knew exactly what He was doing when He created man and woman. It also causes me to ponder the meaning of life and love. Jesus actually says quite a lot about the subject in Matthew 19:3-12 where He talks about marriage, sexuality, and divorce.
I became familiar with this passage years ago when I was wrestling with the guilt of a failed first marriage. God knew long before I even got married that my marriage wouldn't last. This is one of the reasons why Jesus suffered on my account. Many years later, God has blessed me with a longstanding marriage to a man I definitely do not deserve. Am I grateful? You bet! Do I have guilty feelings over the past? Nope, not anymore because I know that God has forgiven me for all of my mistakes. As God promises in Romans 8, there is no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus.

Danger!

A recent trip through Munising, MI afforded me a new perspective on life.  The trip helped me to realize the great sacrifices my husband makes so that our family can be stable. It makes me admire him more than words could say! 

Through our marriage, the road we have been on has been rocky to say the least. On this particular day, the bitter, cold wind unsuccessfully tried to pry the camera from my hands making this image from the Lake Superior shore even more representative of our life.
On our journey together, it has not always been clear which path is the best or which situation is dangerous. In this scene, it is pretty evident that these waters are treacherous. But what would it be like on a calm day? The water might be deceivingly inviting. And even though the sign warns of a wicked undercurrent, that may not suffice to avoid trouble. Sometimes we have heeded the warning. Other times we have ignored it. Yet other times we have completely missed the sign. 

Life is not easy nor does each day come with a set of instructions. But there is a guide that can help to make each day navigable. God's Word provides all the guidance a person could need to navigate the calm and stormy waters of life. Just like the Psalmist proclaimed "Thy word is a lamp unto my feet, and a light unto my path." My prayer is that each day, my husband and I will seek God's will in our lives.