Happy Anniversary!

Lisa and I, the babe in the pic, have been married 29 years today. No small feat. Watched “Fireproof” last night. Some good advice for marriage or any relationship for that matter. Except for all the American Western born-again Christianity it’s thoroughly soaked in. Can’t help but guess that the title “Fireproof” is loaded with significance: fireproof your marriage from burning to the ground by intentionally loving one another well; and fireproof your marriage by accepting Jesus Christ as your own personal Lord and Savior or you’re going to burn in Hell, you and your spouse!</br>

<br>The other night at homegroup someone said, “Marriages only survive with Jesus at the center!” Someone pointed out that everyone in the room, except for me, have been divorced. All 10! Plus there were a couple of people who lost loved ones to suicide. All while Jesus was there. Lisa and I have no doubt that God has been with us in our relationship. But we are also painfully aware that either of us, at any time, could walk our separate ways and God wouldn’t stop it. It’s a myth I was fed ever since I was in the church that if Jesus is at the center then life will be perfect. There is no difference in the statistics between believers and non-believers in the realm of marriage, illness, wealth, happiness, or any other category. Which is why Calvin correctly states:

The believer must not expect Heaven on earth or hope to reap the fruit of victory or to live in rest. Here he lives in need, imperfection and trouble, and there is externally no difference between believers and heathen. Yet the life which is promised is real and no shadow. It is in the Christian like the life of trees in winter, hidden, but waiting to show itself in the fulfillment of time. Our life is elsewhere; it is now hidden, but it will be revealed to us at the coming of the Redeemer.

We celebrate our 29th anniversary today. And it has taken us a lot of hard work. This hard work has its rewards. But we’re not going to fool ourselves into thinking that it succeeds because of a secret spiritual formula. Sorry for the mythbusting. And thanks for the congratulations! We’re happy.

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