Why Marriage is For Me

Marriage has moved my life in a stunning, profound way; in ways that couldn’t be had I not been married. The negative things I heard while I was single never altered the beauty I believed God created in marriage. Despite what a lot of people said about it, this is why marriage is absolutely for me.

It’s for me because it so knowingly exposes every crevasse of my sinful heart, making the necessity for Gods intervention—which draws me closer to Him.

It’s for me because I struggle with accepting help and resting. My husband helps burn down my stubborn walls—which produces humility.

It’s for me because we’re both experiencing conformity to the image of Christ still, which means there’s still sin in our lives so we’ll hurt each other. This teaches me grace upon grace—the same grace God gives me everyday.

Marriage is for me, because though I sometimes fail my husband, his patience has shown me a bigger picture of our marriage—Christ’s patience with me.

Marriage is for me, because it is a constant call to walk in love, especially towards my husband. Jesus gave a simple command to, “love your neighbor as yourself.” I should love my spouse well, as he is my closest—dearest neighbor.

It’s for me because though I teach children every day to be kind, I sometimes forget to follow this command myself to my husband which creates conviction—and conviction is good once in awhile.

It’s for me because he makes any kind of bitter diagnosis sweeter. When I go through rough health days, I have a hand to hold in the afternoon, his warmth at night, and someone to catch my tears before they fall in my morning coffee.

It’s for me because he sharpens me and isn’t afraid to gently hurt my feelings to make me better—and I can always be better.

It’s for me because it burns through the bitter wrinkles of my heart, ironing it out—up and down, left to right. And though it sears sometimes, there are parts that need to be burned.

My husband likes to remind me of how a pearl is formed when I’m going through anything painful. It’s a grueling process once a grain of sand or something foreign slips into the oysters shell causing it to get so irritated that it continuously tries to cover the irritant with nacre, and it keeps doing this for years. The pearl is formed from long-suffering.

Marriage can produce beautiful things; a whole new pearl if you allow it.

Marriage is for me, because it means togetherness. Togetherness in the good and the bad, which is so much better than doing it alone.

It’s for me because in the end, I am with someone who pushes me to be holier, to love God deeper, and to love others better. After all, if we don’t love people we can see, how can we love God, whom we cannot see? (1 John 4:20).

Marriage is for me, like God is for me, not against me. He knew in the beginning the goodness he was creating when he said, “It is not good for man to be alone; I will make him a helper fit for him” (Genesis 2:18). And for all these reasons, marriage is completely and incandescently for me—and I’m so glad I said yes.

photo from our wedding | meme urbane photography