Saturday, February 14, 2015
And now abide faith, hope, love, these three; but the greatest of these is love.—1 Corinthians 13:13
Can a man and a woman fall in love, be married, and live “happily ever after”? Or is that just a fairy tale?
With the divorce rate at roughly 50% in the US today, one wonders. For a second marriage, the rate rises to 60%. And for a third marriage, it rises even higher to 73%.
Is it possible to have a happy and fulfilling relationship after you have been married?
I know it’s possible—even probable—and totally viable. But I must tell you, it will not happen by default or accident. If a marriage is strong and thriving, that is because two people have done their part.
There are multiple ingredients, carefully mixed together, that produce strong marriages. The man has his part and the woman has hers.
My grandmother, Mama Stella, made the most amazing biscuits in human history. They should be in the Smithsonian. There was nothing unusual or mystical about the ingredients she used: buttermilk, self-rising flour, oil. With expert hands, Mama Stella lovingly mixed them and—voilà!—the perfect biscuit.
A recipe for a successful marriage is similar. It depends on what you put into it and just the right amounts. Leave out an ingredient, or use too little of it, and it’s just not the same. For instance, you can’t make a buttermilk biscuit and substitute chocolate milk for buttermilk!
When we bring the proper ingredients to God and place them into His capable hands, just watch and see what He can do in our marriages.
