A Chord of Three Strands...

   

     There have been a dozen roses sitting on my kitchen table for almost a week now. They have slowly opened and have grown fuller since they were first placed there last Tuesday night...the night before our 8th wedding anniversary for me to find in the morning.

     I actually did not deserve the roses. Not at all. Wanna know why? Because I teased Scott about them before he even bought them...He said he was running to the store at 9:45 at night...I asked if was going to pick up some carnations for some girl he knew?

    He probably should have left a lump of coal on the kitchen table, or a bag of cat liter, or nothing at all for that matter...that would have set me straight, right?!

    Fortunately, Scott is a good guy. He's often the bigger one in our relationship...the one who relents when things get tense, the one who gives when things get tough. When we did one of those pre-martial relationship tests I think it was determined he was a golden retriever and I was somewhere between a Lion and an Otter...we'll just leave it at that...

   Thankfully Scott wasn't out to set me straight, he just wanted to do something nice to show me that, as he says, "he is still crazy about me after all these years."  Personally I think he should start to say he's gone crazy because of me after all these years...but then again...he's a good guy.

   Fortunately for both of us we have a bigger, stronger, better foundation that our relationship rests on...one that is not dependent on mine or Scott's wills or desires...

     At our wedding the pastor who married us talked about the power of not one, not even two, but three:

Ecclesiastes 4:12: Though one may be overpowered, two can defend themselves. A strand of three is not easily broken. 

      That third strand, the most important one, is God, who, when allowed in to permeate your relationship really changes the dynamics. If you are seeking Him, seeking wisdom, seeking to lead a Godly life you will find you quickly are learning lessons about servanthood, selflessness, patience, kindness and goodness even when you don't feel like you want to.

     ...oh am I ever working on those things. Motherhood and marriage give us ample opportunity to practice...

     So, in commemoration of 8 years of marriage, and in honor of a man who is truly a blessing and a gift, I have a few words of thanks...

     In a world where commitment seems a thing of the past...
                                  I'm so grateful for commitment to each other and to God.

     In a society where selfishness is advocated and valued...
                                           I'm grateful for my husband's selfless spirit

     Where infidelity is the norm...
                                          Fidelity is, and will always be, our norm

     In a world where faithfulness seems optional...
                                             I know that we will always be faithful

     Our marriage is a place of refuge in the midst of our society's foggy values, a source of security in an atmosphere of insecurity, and a gift in a culture where long term, committed marriages are becoming less and less the norm.

    So thankful for my husband, my life, my marriage and the God who has blessed me abundantly.