Marriage Is Good.
As Ray and I walked through Dollar General last night, we saw customers looking at this and that. A couple of ladies were looking at Christmas items. A man was looking at items in the automotive aisle.
The man and Ray and I arrived at the checkout at about the same time. When we made eye contact, he graciously allowed us to go first. He stepped in behind us and surprised us with a question. “What’s the secret of a long marriage?” he asked.
“Lots of forgiveness,” I replied, “and deciding to stick with it, no matter what.” Ray replied with a kind comment about me—one I could have said about him.
“It’ll be 47 years in December,” I said. (This is how we looked back then.)
“Do you know how I know?” he asked. “It’s the way you to talk to each other.”
He went on to say that he is 53 years old and has never married. He told us that he had never found the right one.
Of course, Ray and I left the store with grateful and glowing hearts.
Marriage is good. God invented it in Genesis 2. In the ideal situation, children grow up with a strong and growing marriage at the center of their home. Notice that I didn’t say perfect. I said growing. Even for children who do not experience that great blessing, learning to honor this good thing that God created is part of their wise mama’s teaching. She can honor marriage in her speech. She can teach stability and commitment through her commitment to her children, her siblings, and her parents. She can foster relationships with other husbands and wives who can serve as examples for her children.
Marriage is to be held in honor among all . . .
Hebrews 13:4
