5 years of wedded bliss........

Marriage isn't what I thought it would be, but what I had imagined isn't what God had intended it to be. I wish someone would have told me that, but then again, i probably wouldn't have listened, some things we just have to experience to know it's true. As many of you know, Gods plan in marriage is to reflect His relationship with the church here on earth. I suppose if we keep that in mind from the get go, we wouldn't be so shocked by our sinful nature as time unfolds. If you look at the bible and see God's bride behaving in it's rebellious sinful state, time and time again even after given 2nd, 3rd, 4th........ well lots of chances, and His unending kindness and grace, commitment and love to His adulterous bride........ well then we start to get an accurate picture of marriage. Because that is what the last 5 years have been for us, sweet in that "......where sin increased, grace abounded all the more" Ro 5:20. It's not that we became more sinful the longer we were married, but rather more aware of our existing sin, as God reveled it to us. God has been so kind to give us the grace to forgive each other and love each other time and time again, and I know will continue to give us each the opportunity the remainder of our time here as husband and wife. But the encouraging part is this....... God presents to himself a perfect, spotless, sinless bride as we place our faith in Christ whom bore the punishment for my sin, we may stand before Him, not as the wretch we are, but as his beautiful forgiven sons and daughters, all because of the work he did for us on the cross.

Mike showed me this video a couple of months ago. It really seemed to impact him. I thought it was a sweet example of the service opportunity marriage renders. This was Robert McQuilken's retirement speech, once you view it, the reason for his retirement is very clear. I hope it blesses you.