Marriage (2001)

Two major events happened in my life between 2000 - 2001. I married Simri in November 2000, and then my parents divorced in 2001 after 30+ years of marriage. Needless to say, that was a rollercoaster year of emotions. I wrote this journal immediately after hearing of my parents situation. That event created a burning desire to study God's Word on Love, Marriage, and Divorce. Here's what I wrote on marriage...

Marriage - the joining of two to become one. So how does two distinct creations of God become one? What is created by God (the man and woman...and the joining in marriage) must therefore be given by God. Does that mean God will distinctly show you who to marry? In some cases in the Bible, the answer is "yes," but He spends more time discussing the committment between a man and a woman than the seeking of a mate. The committment came down to a direct comparison of Jesus and the Church (the Word made Flesh and God's chosen people). We are commanded to love as Christ loved the Church...in which He gave His life for them.

Here enters the term "love," along with a great definition of the word: "willing to die for." How does a man and woman discover they are "willing to die for" the other? Looking once again to Scripture, we see that God knows man is not very willing to lay his own life down for another man (Rom 5:7). But if we look to our heroes throughout history, we find that most of them became heroes by laying down their lives for man or country. So did our Lord (Rom 5:8). He gave His life so we might live...and also do likewise. His example is our goal. Just as His life, death, and resurrection is the key to our salvation.

This page of journaling was one that I read and prayed over many times over the past 7 years. I pleaded with God to teach me how to love Simri in marriage. I also pleaded with God to give my parents a love that they may never have known...His love in marriage. What would give Him more glory than for my parents to reconcile and depend on Him to provide love? Well, He provided a miracle and 7 years later, my parents re-united in marriage. All Praise to God!