"Daniel and Megan, you are about to abandon yourselves to each other, throw caution to the wind, forsake independence, isolation, and all others. You will vow to each other your undying love. before you do, we must call this what it is--this is perfect madness."
That got the crowd's attention.
"As an aspiration, how lovely. As a reality, how rare. Everyone wants love; everyone is looking for love. Few seem to find what they are looking for; fewer still seem able to sustain it. Why in heaven's name would you come to church to publicly dedicate yourselves to something so risky, so fraught with danger, so scandalous? 'The heart has its reasons,' Pascal confessed, 'that reason knows not of.' Deep in the wellspring of our hearts there is a desire--for intimacy, beauty, and adventure. And no matter what anyone might say, we look for it all the days of our lives.
"Friends, I know what you are thinking. As you watch this today, there is something in your heart that says, 'Well maybe. Maybe this time. Maybe this couple.' But what if, what if Daniel and Megan, in all their frail humanity, are living our before us right now a picture, a metaphor of something far more real and substantial. I'd like to suggest that this is no common passion play. Things are never what they seem. If you would see things clearly you must see with the eyes of the heart. That is the secret of every fairy tale, because it is the secret to the Gospel, because it is the secret to life.
"Scripture tells us that we might at any time entertain an angel simply by welcoming a stranger. The serpent in the garden is really the Prince of Darkness. The carpenter from Nazareth--there is more to him than meets the eye as well. Things are not what they seem, and so if we would understand our lives--and especially our marriages--we must listen again to the Gospel and the fairy tales based upon it. There are larger events unfolding around us, events of enormous consequence. A lamp is lit and love is lost. A box is opened and evil swarms into the worlds. An apple is taken and mankind is plunged into darkness. Moments of immense consequence are taking place all around us. Especially this.
"Dearly beloved, you see before you a man and a woman. But there is more here than meets the eye. God gave us this passion play to reenact, right here and now, the story of the ages. This is the story of mankind, the one story we have been telling ourselves over and over again, in every great myth and legend and poem and song. It is a love story, set in the midst of desperate times, set in the midst of war. It is a story of a shared quest. It is a story of romance. Daniel and Megan are playing out before you now the deepest and most mythic reality in the world. This is the story of God's romance with mankind."
...this is just part of an excerpt from chapter one of John & Staci Eldredge's new book, Love & War. You can find the rest of it here: Love & War Excerpt. I encourage you to at least look at this portion of the book, if for some reason you aren't inspired to go out & grab it right now. It looks incredible!
Showing posts with label marriage. Show all posts
Showing posts with label marriage. Show all posts
Wednesday, February 24, 2010
Tuesday, February 23, 2010
Patience
Patience seems to be the theme in my life right now. I was talking with a friend over breakfast before work one day last week and we got on the topic of babies. As you already know, I'm 24, a full-time grad student, and work a full-time job. I'm not married. I'm not even currently dating. And I'm definitely not planning on having babies any time soon. (Though I desperately wish I were married and getting ready to have a child.) My friend's story is a little different. She's almost 30, has been married 5+ years (they've been together 10+ years), and is definitely ready for a baby.
The two of them have been arguing a lot lately over this and other, though still related, things. She has always been the one to hold down a good job while allowing him to pursue his creative talents. He's been in several bands and recently wrote a book. He is currently recording the audio version of said book and is also working on a short promo video for it. He's said (for years now) that they'll have a baby 'in two years.' They've finally come to a point where they've decided that they will begin to try in fall. Unfortunately, he's frustrated at her and recently said 'Well, why don't we just start trying in March?!' For most this would probably be a good thing, but for them, it's not. They're financially strapped and have to watch everything they spend, which includes some heavy planning for when would be a good time to have a due date for a baby.
The point is, my friend thought that things with him would be different after they'd been married for a while. They didn't. And now she's having to face the consequences of choosing someone she thought would change. I think that too many people today choose their spouses based on this kind of thinking.
'Oh, he'll get better about that.'
'She'll change her ways in time.'
But he doesn't get better and she doesn't change her ways and they end up divorced. It's a sad thing, divorce. As a child of divorced parents, I know how much I was hurt. I can only imagine what emotional roller-coasters my parents went through. I don't think that my friend and her husband will divorce, I don't think they're to that point. And knowing their personalities, I feel that when they took their vows, they meant them and nothing short of severe infidelity would separate the two of them...perhaps not even that if the one who stepped out were repentant.
But back to the theme of patience.
Having a baby takes patience.
To meet the man that will be my husband a develop a relationship with him takes patience.
Finishing my degree and getting my license takes patience.
All morning I've been listening to one song: Lead Us Back. It's one of my favorite songs. The lyrics are beautiful. It's a song that brings me comfort, puts forth to me a challenge, and shines with a soft inspiration to change my life. To be brought back to life in Christ takes patience.
I think that I'm stuck with this theme for a while...
Lead Us Back
by Bobby Gilles, Brooks Ritter
Falling down upon our knees
Sharing now in common shame
We have sought security
Not the cross that bears Your name
Fences guard our hearts and homes
Comfort sings a siren tune
We’re a valley of dry bones
Lead us back to life in You
Lord we fall upon our knees
We have shunned the weak and poor
Worshipped beauty, courted kings
And the things their gold affords
Prayed for those we’d like to know
Favor sings a siren tune
We’ve become a talent show
Lead us back to life in You
You have caused the blind to see
We have blinded him again
With our man-made laws and creeds
Eager, ready to condemn
Now we plead before Your throne
Power sings a siren tune
We’ve been throwing heavy stones
Lead us back to life in You
We’re a valley of dry bones
Lead us back to life in You
We’ve become a talent show
Lead us back to life in You
We’ve been throwing heavy stones
Lead us back to life in You
The two of them have been arguing a lot lately over this and other, though still related, things. She has always been the one to hold down a good job while allowing him to pursue his creative talents. He's been in several bands and recently wrote a book. He is currently recording the audio version of said book and is also working on a short promo video for it. He's said (for years now) that they'll have a baby 'in two years.' They've finally come to a point where they've decided that they will begin to try in fall. Unfortunately, he's frustrated at her and recently said 'Well, why don't we just start trying in March?!' For most this would probably be a good thing, but for them, it's not. They're financially strapped and have to watch everything they spend, which includes some heavy planning for when would be a good time to have a due date for a baby.
The point is, my friend thought that things with him would be different after they'd been married for a while. They didn't. And now she's having to face the consequences of choosing someone she thought would change. I think that too many people today choose their spouses based on this kind of thinking.
'Oh, he'll get better about that.'
'She'll change her ways in time.'
But he doesn't get better and she doesn't change her ways and they end up divorced. It's a sad thing, divorce. As a child of divorced parents, I know how much I was hurt. I can only imagine what emotional roller-coasters my parents went through. I don't think that my friend and her husband will divorce, I don't think they're to that point. And knowing their personalities, I feel that when they took their vows, they meant them and nothing short of severe infidelity would separate the two of them...perhaps not even that if the one who stepped out were repentant.
But back to the theme of patience.
Having a baby takes patience.
To meet the man that will be my husband a develop a relationship with him takes patience.
Finishing my degree and getting my license takes patience.
All morning I've been listening to one song: Lead Us Back. It's one of my favorite songs. The lyrics are beautiful. It's a song that brings me comfort, puts forth to me a challenge, and shines with a soft inspiration to change my life. To be brought back to life in Christ takes patience.
I think that I'm stuck with this theme for a while...
Lead Us Back
by Bobby Gilles, Brooks Ritter
Falling down upon our knees
Sharing now in common shame
We have sought security
Not the cross that bears Your name
Fences guard our hearts and homes
Comfort sings a siren tune
We’re a valley of dry bones
Lead us back to life in You
Lord we fall upon our knees
We have shunned the weak and poor
Worshipped beauty, courted kings
And the things their gold affords
Prayed for those we’d like to know
Favor sings a siren tune
We’ve become a talent show
Lead us back to life in You
You have caused the blind to see
We have blinded him again
With our man-made laws and creeds
Eager, ready to condemn
Now we plead before Your throne
Power sings a siren tune
We’ve been throwing heavy stones
Lead us back to life in You
We’re a valley of dry bones
Lead us back to life in You
We’ve become a talent show
Lead us back to life in You
We’ve been throwing heavy stones
Lead us back to life in You
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