On April 18, 1998, David and I stood at the altar and promised to love, honor, and cherish one another forever. At the time, that seemed like the easiest promise I’d ever been asked to make. The love we felt ran deep; we loved being together; and we were confident that God had led us together in His perfect time. What a great day it was!!
I would imagine you have a similar story about an incredibly easy promise to make, and I hope that merely thinking back on that day has made you smile like it did me.
Life happens, though. Doesn’t it? For us, children started arriving 18 months after we said “I do.” Three joined our family in less than 4 years, and soon, the blissful couple standing at the altar looked a little more sleep-deprived than they did that overcast April day.
Another child, school days, homeschool days, the call into ministry, steps of obedience, fears, frustrations, mistakes, missteps, hurtful things—life marched on—yet, that promise remained on the table. We just had to be much more intentional in the keeping of it than we ever had dreamed we would have been.
It’s always a struggle to keep those vows, isn’t it?
Satan is on the warpath against God’s families, and he’s unleashing all kinds of hardships, frustrations, temptations, and difficulties on us. The enemy knows that the family is the foundational unit in God’s economy, and he wants to make that foundation crumble.
The stakes are high.
The battle lines are drawn.
Will we stand true? Will we fight for the relationships that are the most worth fighting for? Will we keep our eyes on the One Who gives us the strength to endure even the biggest struggles? Will we keep those vows, invest in our marriages, and pass on a legacy of faithfulness to our children?
We must!
David and I pray for your families—and ours—every single day. When we learn of specific instances, we bring them before the Father and follow up as much as we can. We pray that God will give us all the strength to keep those vows we made and to see the love we started with only grow stronger even as our days grow more complicated.
Since this week is Valentine’s Day, I wanted to encourage you to refocus on your truest love—no matter how much of a struggle life has become. Take the time, not only during this week where all the world is full of hearts and candy, but every day to rehearse truth about the one God gave you—and share those truths together. Tell them what you’re grateful for, things you recognize as wonderful in them, how good of a job they’re doing, etc.
Ephesians 4:15 instructs us to “speak truth” to one another. Although, I doubt any of us would say lying to your spouse is ok, I wonder how many of us are intentionally taking the time to whisper reaffirming truths in their ears each day.
You’ll see amazing things begin to happen when you do. Your spouse will start hearing and believing those truths about themselves, which can remove insecurities. You’ll both start to celebrate the things you do that you’re tempted to believe goes completely unnoticed. And, the intimacy of your relationship will grow as you begin to appreciate one another so much more.
Years ago, I began praying for David and for our marriage in a very strategic way, and I have written that up for whomever would like to engage with it. By clicking here, you can subscribe to a 35-day morning email series to walk you through different scriptures and their applications that will help strengthen your marriage and deepen your love and appreciation for your spouse in the days ahead. I would love for you to walk with me through that, and there is really NO better time to start than Valentine’s week, right?
Finally, if there are struggles that you are going through that David and I could join you in praying for, please don’t hesitate to respond to this email. We truly are here to serve your family, and it is a great privilege to get to pray with you.