The one where I get rather zealous about protecting marriage

I have such a burden on my heart for marriages. It hurts me to see something that God exquisitely designed, and has declared very good, being callously cheapened and carelessly thrown away. All marriage is sacred and beautiful, but when I see Christians treating their covenant before God with cold hearted selfishness it breaks my heart. Yes, there have been times I have broken my own heart. Alot of different marriages I have seen and heard about come to mind, but I am mostly speaking to myself. If I could look the evil that tries to break up Christian marriages in the eye and speak my mind I would say some thing like this: “Oh, I’m sorry, was that my marriage you were targeting, because you picked the wrong union to mess with. Oh, I have to give you credit for the momentary emotions which have, at different times, attached themselves to us ever so briefly. Fear Mistrust Hopelessness Questioning Defensiveness Selfishness Yes, you have accomplished these temporal and surface damages. Some you have even done quite well, for they have left a few scars. But excuse me if I don’t applaud your trophies. Your greatest accomplishments pale in comparison to even the weakest of victories our God has brought about in and through us. Your attacking us only solidifies in my mind that what we have is not only precious, but also very powerful, that we are a threat to all things evil and divisive, and that together Dave and I can accomplish so much more for the Kingdom of God than we could have alone. Of course it makes sense. Attack their weaknesses, separate, and destroy. From there you could eradicate a force that is overwhelmingly powerful. A bond that consists of not two but three; A man, a woman, and God. Yes, that’s right, I am not afraid to look evil in the eye and say that I serve Jesus Christ as my Savior and that He is the center of my marriage. Jesus Christ - that name which only paints a target on my back in more vivid colors. I don’t care. Those vows I made – they weren’t just to David (thank you very much to a dear friend for that timely reminder), they were in front of and spoken to God himself.” I, who am usually one of the most non-confrontational shrinking beings you could meet, have found that which brings out an aggressive strength which surprises even me. I first noticed it when I became a mother. I almost feared the drive I found within myself when any one dared to treat a child of mine with any thing less than care and concern. Shortly after becoming parents Dave and I noticed a certain intensification in what felt like attacks on our marriage. In experiencing these threats I noticed a fighting spirit which far outweighed the one I had previously known as it pertained to my children. I will always fight for what is best for my kids, but my marriage is of even higher priority and brings out a surpassing intensity of emotion. God’s plan is worth honoring. It is far more beautiful than any thing I have ever experienced. A man and a woman being better together than they were alone. A man and a woman experiencing a oneness as only otherwise known by The Creator and his creation. Working together to meet common goals. His design consists of stunning beauty. So, I would say to that evil, “Just leave us alone, you aren’t going to get any where with us. It’s not worth it. Our marriage is not up for negotiation.” But I know better than that. I know that by acknowledging the fact that we battle a supernatural force which tries to divide us, and by belligerently rebuking it, I am drawing a line in the sand and only inviting an escalation in attacks. So instead I will say, “Bring it on. We are armed and ready. Our marriage is not invincible, but it is fortified. We will not back down” Perhaps in the beginning of our marriage we were not prepared for the amount of work it would take to not only maintain our marriage, but nurture it to thrive into something beautiful and unique. Well, we are getting it now. We are willing and enabled to fight for every thing good that God has planned for us. Who wants average when there is so much more to be had? “Love is patient, Love is kind. It does not envy, It does not boast, It is not proud, It is not rude, It is not self seeking, It is not easily angered, It keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil, But rejoices with the truth. It always protects, Always trusts, Always hopes, Always perseveres. Love never fails.” 1 Corinthians 13:4-8