Saved the Best for Last

Christmas time has always been my favorite time of year. From the joy of celebrating Jesus birth – To the melodic sounds of carols being sung - To a gathering spirit of love for friends and family – To the outreach of kindness and generosity - To the excitement and anticipation of exchanging gifts – and let’s not forget the fun of that cute little fat man in the red suit that appears around this time of year - To twinkling lights and the vibrant colors of Christmas sparkling from every direction in a community. It’s all so beautiful to me. The end of the season is a perfect time to get married – so we did – 46 year ago. Oh my, that’s a lot of years! That gives our kids 4 years to plan our 50th. Hint, hint! When they were in school I always wanted them to start their projects the minute they were assigned. Ah the sweet irritation of mom’s notions never really goes away. Our marriage has given our precious four a love assignment.

You’re probably thinking, “oh good, she’s got a really good long marriage pearl for us today.” Dear hearts – I have a twelve strand necklace! Marriage is not for the faint of heart. Conventional wisdom says you need to blend two lives into one with mutual respect, love and honor. Ahhh, isn’t that beautiful but how do you do that if one of the two is from Mars? In every marriage one always is and contrary to popular belief that’s irrespective of gender. Coach Wonderful and I have learned that dying to self is what builds a good marriage. Not an easy task. Most of us enter a marriage as if we were shot by a porcupine in our youth. We got quills. (Hairs with scales or shingles, that point backward. Body heat makes the barbs expand and they become even more deeply embedded) Patterns – habits, attitudes, survival instincts, defensive mechanisms, just wanting to be loved and accepted. We bring into a marriage false notions of defining ourselves by what we do, what we have, what we think, and arguing our way. Quills are all about self and need to be removed from our lives. It’s a process and depending on how ‘quilled’ you are it can take a very long time. As long as it’s an I for an I your we might be destroyed.

A pearl to string: Marriage is the single most valuable liaison to battle selfishness. Learning to die to self grooms you for a closer relationship with the Lord like nothing else I know.

"And he said to them all, If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow me. For whosoever will save his life shall lose it: but whosoever will lose his life for my sake, the same shall save it. For what is a man advantaged, if he gain the whole world, and lose himself, or be cast away?" Luke 9:23-25

Thank you Lord for my Coach Wonderful. Thank you love of my life for helping me removes so many quills.

In Son shine,
Lyndi