Marriage Capsules

We have found the right person we want to spend the rest of our lives with, after all the energy and emotions expended in courtship, all the messages, seminars, and conferences on choosing right. I particularly remember a message I heard when I was still single that if you miss it in marriage, 80 percent of your future is gone. Pretty scary message!

You finally found the bone of your bone, the flesh of your flesh, the person with whom you want to “do life,” and you have some assurance that your future is still 100 percent intact. The journey to meeting each other, the chase, the adrenaline rush, the butterflies in your tummy, the increased heart rate when he or she is around or you perceive their scent in the air. Fortunately (or unfortunately), it doesn’t end there. In fact, the major job just started. The wedding vows have been said, the bride has worn her magical white dress, the guy has worn his best suit, he has married the girl of his dreams, they have both decided to say, “I do,” and forever has begun! The sacred first wedding night, the dream of every young lover, has happened.

That is only the beginning. In truth, a marriage can be made in heaven, but you have to consciously make it work here on earth. Two people who are angel-like can marry and have serious problems because marriage requires work and effort to make it happen, to make it divorce-proof. Even if two “angels” get married but neglect to put in the necessary work, the marriage may be headed toward jeopardy. So, honestly, it takes more than an angelic appearance, a pastoral demeanor, and holiness to sustain a happy married life.

Two main reasons for the increase in the divorce rate today are a lack of commitment and a decline in moral character. Today there are divorce attorneys who make a living from helping others sever their marriage union. I am not judging anyone; it’s their job. One day we were driving by the Interstate highway, and we saw this huge billboard that stated: “Undo I Do.” That was scary stuff for me.

We live in a society where marriages are breaking like biscuits (crackers), and it is not funny at all. It is painful and sad. Divorce can be devastating for all the parties involved—the couple and the children. I truly sympathize with those who, for one reason or another, are victims of severed unions. I pray the Lord will bring healing to their hearts.

Our society has come to accept that it is okay to have “Daddy’s house” and “Mommy’s house” when ideally, there should only be “Mom and Dad’s house.” It is not okay. The fact that something has become the norm does not make it normal. Honestly, the thought of this makes me shudder. People it happened to never desired it. Life just sometimes happens. Many people wonder why bad things sometimes happen to good people. Like so many things in life, it remains a mystery.