Do you consider marriage a miracle? Maybe you’re like me and you realize that, yes indeed, it took a miracle for me to get married. It took a divine intervention of blindness and mercy for the girl I loved to say “yes” to my marriage proposal nearly a quarter century ago. I’m glad she never got over it.
If you are married do you see yourself as part of an ongoing miracle of God? Do you see that, if you are a Christian man or woman, to be in marriage as God has designed it is to be dependent on the divine working of God in your life, because the purpose of your marriage is to uniquely represent his redemptive love and plan through your covenant relationship?
In Ephesians 5, the Apostle Paul marvels at this mystery, and we should as well. When I had the privilege of pastoring single adults, I had the amazing opportunity to witness up close the unfolding of miraculous activity of the Lord in bringing single folks together in marriage. I’ve had had the honor of officiating at ninety or so weddings, each one a unique expression of God’s divine organization. Sometimes it has been humorous, such as the two singles who served in ministry together and swore they had no attraction, only to be married less than two years after these bold pronouncements. Or of the single lady who patiently waited during courtship for her hoped-for husband to be to finish school and get a job so he could propose. After rehearsing her answer to a proposal over and over in her mind, when the moment finally came, the only response she was able to muster was to throw up!
Along with the humorous stories, there have been wonderful stories of God’s faithfulness – of single men stepping up not only to the call of marriage, but to the call of parenting as they made single moms into wives. Christian families have been joined together for a new heritage through the wedding of their children. Racial and cultural differences have brought into wonderful harmony through the covenant of marriage.
Are these miracles? Is it a miracle of faith that two sinners can embrace the high calling of husband and wife, knowing that with those roles comes blessing and witness to the gospel, even though they are constantly aware of how much they need to grow? Is it a miracle of hope for someone to stand in front of friends and family and promise lifetime commitment to marriage with no guarantee of what the future holds? Is it a miracle of love for two people who have known only singleness to blend their lives together at the deepest levels – two becoming one?
Faith, hope, love. Look around you. There are miracles happening every day. In the amazing adventure of Christian marriage!
1 comment:
Thank you so much for this article. It's really good article.
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