We were watching Cinderella today for what feels like the 100th time, and I was surprised at the amount of feelings stirred up in me just by watching her "fall in love" with the prince. It made me think about how I used to dream of falling in love as a kid, as I think most all little girls do. And then a quick timeline of my life so far flashed through my mind. Thoughts of how I found my "prince" when I was only fifteen and how God was in our relationship and leading us long before we gave Him the time of day. All of our mistakes and mounds of God's grace leading us here...
To me sitting on the couch snuggling our babies and watching a fairytale. This life, being a Mom and wife, is all I ever wanted. I knew that when I met my husband all those years ago, I just had no idea it would be like this. There are definitely hard days, but wow God sure is good.
And then I thought about what I want my children to know about finding the one whom their soul longs for. There are the obvious things...someone who is respectful, trustworthy, values family, is of good character, etc. Those are important. And of course, I want my children to have a spouse they can enjoy life with, someone who makes them happy. But the thing I really want them to grasp, is that the most important characteristic of any potential spouse is what his/her relationship with Christ is like. I wish I had known this growing up. Although, that's just one of the many examples of God's grace and mercy in my life. My husband and I were not who we are now when we started dating. But God knew there would come a day when we would run to Him together.
Please here me, it is one thing to say you're a Christian (even if you genuinely believe), but it is quite another to live out your days for Christ, in an everlasting relationship with Him. Relationships, whether with people or Christ, take work, time and effort. The divorce rate is the same among the general population as it is among those who identify themselves as Christians. Knowing the truths of God's Word doesn't help much if you aren't willing to apply them. Being in constant communication with the One who knit you together in the womb is the only way to wrangle the lusts of the flesh, whatever they may be. I want my kids to grow up knowing that this is the one thing they must look for in a spouse...above all else, Christ must be there.There's security in knowing that your husband/wife answers to Him and takes that very seriously.
There is no perfect spouse, but if you find one who lives for God, loves Him and genuinely puts Him and His will first in everything they do, you have found a treasure. This is the gift that the Lord gave me in my husband, and one that I will continue to pray for for my own children as they grow.
Marriage, like everything, has its hard days. but if it is rooted and grounded in Him...it is way better than a fairytale.
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