Thursday, July 5, 2012

Twenty-One



On this date in 1991 Alice and I were married. Today marks twenty-one years of wedded bliss.

Other than Himself, Alice is God's greatest gift to me. She truly is a marvelous woman who loves the Lord (which is understandable) and loves me (less understandable). Since I was only twenty when we wed, quick math tells that I've been married longer than I've not. The married part has been better.

Most of my co-workers are not married. Several of them live with other folks. Some are divorced. Almost all of them have a negative view of marriage. The things they say indicate that they generally think of marriage as unnecessary, confining, and/or pointless. How sad this is.

Marriage is a sweet gift of God to His creation. Not only does it give us a deep relationship on earth like no other, but it also grants us a peek into the wonder of the intimacy within the Trinity.

God's design for things is always best. Marriage is one of the supreme examples of this.

12 comments:

Drewe said...

Congratulations :D - we just hit 14 years yesterdau (today for you as well), and remarked a similar thing - compared to most of our friends and family, we are happily married and together almost the longest...

Eric said...

Drewe,

Thank you! And congrats to you as well.

I remember that when I was growing up it seemed that most adults were married. Today it seems that most aren't. People appear to be trying to come up with new types and styles of relationships to avoid the commitment that God wants. It's gotten to the point (in the USA at least) that homosexuals want to be married more than heterosexuals do. I suppose this is all another example of the hardness of man's heart apart from Christ.

Thanks be to God for his wonderful gift of marriage!

Drewe said...

Yes - it's an interesting situation in where the world wants to avoid commitment (I once worked for a boss who said she would think about getting married after living with er partner for 10 years!), except in the case of same sex relationships where they are trying to define it! What a mixed up world we live in.

But another thought - how many out there really believe in marriage - but we just don't hear from them? The families, that are quietly going about their lives (in some way that is me - since I don't have a personal marriage ministry actively contacting community, media and government), living a testimony to what God has called, without maybe making as much noise as the others, and yet still holding a much larger than thought percentage...

Aussie John said...

Eric,

God IS good! All praise and glory are His!

Anonymous said...

Congratulations Eric, may the Lord bless you bless you with so many more years! It is such a testimony to the radical nature of God's kingdom when we live joyfully in a marriage. People just don't know what to make of it anymore. My wife and I celebrated our third just a few days ago. Must be a June/July thing. :-)

Alice C. said...

I thank God every day for you, honey. We have had a wonderful time these last 21 years, despite enduring several trials. I look forward to what the Lord has in store for us.

Eric said...

Aussie John,

Thanks! And I agree completely.

Eric said...

John,

Than you. You wrote, "It is such a testimony to the radical nature of God's kingdom when we live joyfully in a marriage." Very well said. It goes against everything the world thinks anymore. And what a joy it is!

Eric said...

Drewe,

You raise a good question/issue. I do think there are many Christians living quiet lives in honor of Christ, marriage included. It doesn't make the headlines, but God knows it and enjoys it. Let's just continue to be part of that.

Eric said...

Alice,

I love you too. I also look forward to what lies ahead. God certainly knows what is best and will make that happen to honor his name.

Fred Shope said...

Congratulations. We celebrated 32 years of God's grace and blessing in our marriage on July 5. May the Father grant you many more anniversaries.

Eric said...

co_heir,

Congrats to you as well. July 5th certainly is a great date.