I wasn't looking for love the night I felt the first flutter. I was out to dinner with a nice guy, enjoying a pleasant conversation when the topic turned to what we desired in a spouse.
"Christ has to be first in her life," he began.
I'd never heard a guy bold enough to utter it first, maybe after I had, but never before.
"And we would have to agree divorce is not an option before we ever got married."
He was speaking my language. I sat up and leaned across the table.
"The only way for it to work is to follow God's Word."
I was totally sucked in. For me, marriage and faith went hand in hand. I wouldn't marry anyone who didn't share my faith and that night I met the first guy who didn't give it lip service, but really believed it.
We talked for HOURS, starting what would become habit for us--lengthy discussions into the wee hours of the morning about life and dreams and God's role in our lives. A shared faith brought us together, connected us on a spiritual and intellectual level first, then trickled down to our emotional and physical selves. And now, decades later, our faith is what keeps us together. I love my husband deeply; my faith enables me to do so.
Faith reminds me to let him lead in his own way, not mine. Faith, spurred on by time in the Word and prayer, tells me to trust him, to respect him, to build him up. Faith tells me to go back in quietly when I'd rather point fingers and blame. Faith stifles the "I told you so"s. Faith puts myself aside for his sake. Faith teaches me to love.
When he decided to propose, my husband went to a jeweler and asked him to design a ring with this in mind. My wedding set is one diamond in the middle flanked by a smaller diamond on each side. Kevin explains the middle diamond represents God, the smaller ones us. It was fashioned so that the engagement ring contains the middle diamond and one smaller diamond (God and me). The wedding band contains the other smaller diamond (Kevin) and the set did not look complete until the two rings were joined together.
Even my wedding ring tells the story.
Faith keeps us together.
Though one may be overpowered, two can defend themselves. A cord of three strands is not quickly broken.
Ecclesiastes 4:12
Want to read what others think about faith in marriage? Head over to Chrysalis to read more posts from the Marriage Monday gang.
6 comments:
I love the story about how your heart first fluttered as well as the design of your ring!
You're right about faith....it's that faith that we individually have in God that helps us to trust one another! I know that Dave will do the right thing and he knows that I will too because we are seeking God and His direction! I believe that Faith involves the spiritual and trust involves the physical. In marriage they go hand in hand.
Thanks for sharing with us today!
Hugs,
Connie
What a wonderful post! I love how you tell your 'stories'. I especially love the ring set. Funnily enough I told my husband the other day I was looking at mine and reflected that our engagement ring seems to represent us .. one large diamond in the middle (God) and two smaller ones on either side (me and him) My wedding band has four small diamonds and we have four daughters! Together that makes our family and God as the center. Great minds think alike!
Have a great day!
What a beautiful post! Thank you so much for sharing it. How lovely that your husband put so much thought into the design of your ring, and that it is so very meaningful too, a constant reminder of the Rock you have built your marriage on.
Tami,
What a wonderful account of how God brought you together. And how blessed you are to have each other. ...Marsha
Aw, beautiful. Your wedding ring tells the story... Love it!
Thanks, as always, for linking us for Marriage Monday today, Tami.
Hugs, e-Mom
The ring story is very romantic! INDEED faith keeps us together!
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