BLOGGER TEMPLATES - TWITTER BACKGROUNDS

Monday, May 20, 2013

Not Just A Piece of Paper


I won’t waste time or space apologizing or making excuses for my absence. It will probably be more of the rule for a while here than an exception. That’s just the way life goes at the moment. Not a bad thing! Simply a change.
But today – the 18th anniversary of marriage to my Daniel – I felt like sharing a few thoughts if y’all will indulge me.
While the institution of marriage has been under constant attack for pretty much forever, one of the more popular disparages is the belief that marriage is just a piece of paper – an expensive legal document binding two individuals, so fragile that another expensive piece of paper can un-bind the two individuals just as easily.
Whether you believe in then necessity of that piece of paper or not (for the record – I DO believe in obtaining that piece of paper), belief systems lead to behavior and if one believes that marriage is just a piece of paper, then any relationship/marriage that one enters into has little hope of being treated any better than a mere piece of paper.
The serious truth is, marriage is much much more than a simple, flimsy, worthless piece of paper.
Marriage is…
A covenant.
A vow.
A promise.
A design.
A higher calling than any other relationship.
Hard work.
A miracle.
A state of doing – not just of being.
An active occupation, not a passive label.
A purpose.
A destiny.
It’s forgiveness…long suffering…patience…responsibility…sacrifice…
Living 1 Cor. 13 every second of every day.
Friendship.
A muscle to strengthen – one that atrophies and dies when ignored.
It’s a messy collaboration – like a dance meshing patterned choreography with ad lib free style creating one fluid motion of two individuals.

It’s all the excitement of mud wrestling – along with all the dirty slime.
It’s playing game after game in the Major Leagues, winning some – losing some, but not quitting because the goal is the World Series.
It’s family vacation – a maddening but memorable adventure that barely escapes attempted murder.
It takes the effort of a gladiator – life and death on the line.
Marriage is selflessness – a monumental task for us humans.
Marriage blends polar opposites – happiness and sadness, highs and lows, the good and the bad, bliss and misery – to accomplish a beautiful, unique, solid, miraculous goal.
It’s the ultimate vulnerability and the ultimate security.
A piece of paper doesn’t hold a candle to a marriage.
All of this and more for eighteen years – by the grace of God – with full-hearted gratitude – for as many years as the Lord will tarry – may the adventures of Dan and Lori go on and on.
Daniel Lundquist, I love you.
(photo by yours truly!)

1 comments:

Emiley said...

Very well said, Lori. You two are so special -love you!