It's been 11 years since we stood in front of about 300 of our friends, family and church families. The two became one...but not without the challenges. For some strange reason, many people thought our day was about them. In many ways, it was astonishing. In other ways, it was just plain hurtful. We had to make up our minds and say, "This is our day. Period. Whoever wants to join us, feel free. But the show will go on...with or without you." That would be the first of many times we would have to choose our union over the disapproval of others. But it wasn't a tough choice, really. God put two very stubborn and determined people together - it's always been us against the world.
Now, 11 years later I can admit my error. I had taken out the word "obey" in our vows. I'm a modern kind of gal or so I thought. I didn't like the word simply because I could only imagine that particular word being used from a master to a dog. I couldn't take it. All these years later, I finally get it. My blessings have come in my obedience to my husband's decisions and his covering concerning me and our daughter as the head of our household. God has instructed him to lead, protect, nurture, and love us. God holds him accountable for those things...not me. It's not my role...and what a relief! I've learned to trust his decisions for our household and his instructions for handling some of our most difficult challenges because I know he has consulted God before he even opens his mouth. Yes, we talk things out, but I usually let the final decision rest in his lap while I move on to something else that requires much less pressure. It's not always about trusting him as much as it is about trusting the God in him. He doesn't always say the things I desire for him to say, but I also know he says what God says. That's my guy. (Shame on me for being a submissive wife).
I tell my husband all the time, that if we got married on an island with just the two of us and God, it would have been just fine. But we chose to share this day, just as we've chosen to share our story with many new couples.
A word of advice for married couples or those on their way to marriage - always keep God first in your marriage, there's no failure in Him. You will look up and 11 years will pass you by very quickly, then you will realize that it really was worth it!
Cheers to 11 years and counting...
I'm grateful this man chose me!
#TeamLewis4Christ
Take a listen: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3sE40VAIpfI
22 Wives, submit yourselves to your own husbands as you do to the Lord. 23 For the husband is the head of the wife as Christ is the head of the church, his body, of which he is the Savior. 24 Now as the church submits to Christ, so also wives should submit to their husbands in everything.
25 Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her 26 to make her holy, cleansing[a] her by the washing with water through the word, 27 and to present her to himself as a radiant church, without stain or wrinkle or any other blemish, but holy and blameless. 28 In this same way, husbands ought to love their wives as their own bodies. He who loves his wife loves himself. 29 After all, no one ever hated their own body, but they feed and care for their body, just as Christ does the church— 30 for we are members of his body. 31 “For this reason a man will leave his father and mother and be united to his wife, and the two will become one flesh.”[b] 32 This is a profound mystery—but I am talking about Christ and the church. 33 However, each one of you also must love his wife as he loves himself, and the wife must respect her husband.
No comments:
Post a Comment