Your unfailing love is better than life itself; how I praise you! Psalm 63:3
Lord Jesus, May 5th, 1972, Darlene and I began our journey together as wife and husband—pretty clueless about our own hearts, much more clueless about the riches of the Gospel and the wonders of your love. You have been so kind and faithful to us.
Today, on our 48th Anniversary—right in the middle of this global pandemic, we have so much to be thankful for. Thank you for rescuing us from the notion that if we “married the right person” it would be enough. A spouse makes a lousy Jesus substitute. There’s a place in our hearts only you can fill, Jesus—only one love that can satisfy our deepest longing for connection and intimacy.
It took a while for us to acknowledge we are two broken and beautiful, justified-by-grace sinner/saints. We had a lot of old Gospel-less marriage stereotypes to shed, and we did. We need your grace every day, and you freely and generously give it every day. Being preoccupied with you, rather than each other’s “roles,” is sure a lot more life-giving.
We are grateful for quicker repentances in our marriage and less pettiness; more encouraging of each other and less trying to fix the other. We can weep together and laugh together; be weak together and hope together—all by grace.
And thank you for the gospelicious friends we have—peer couples and younger couples—hungry for grace, honest about the challenges of marriage; and committed to helping each other return to Gospel-sanity over and over. Life was never meant to be lived in isolation and denial—stewing in pain, starving for grace.
One day, Lord Jesus, either Darlene or I will commit the other to the earth, and into your presence. Tears will flow that day, quicker than ever. Until then, keep freeing us, growing us, and using us… any way you choose. So very Amen we pray, in your peerless and exalted name.