Finished? | Previous Challenge Entry

how it works

TITLE: Finished? | Previous Challenge Entry
By Linda Lawrence
04/15/20
LEAVE COMMENT ON ARTICLE
SEND A PRIVATE COMMENT
ADD TO MY FAVORITES

A few months after my husband died I sensed the Lord whispering, “The marriage is finished.” Finished? It certainly didn’t feel finished. Ended, yes, but finished? No! That was what troubled me.

I thought marriage had an important purpose that ours had not yet fulfilled. We both assumed marriage was a life-long process—a project, actually. I wanted to be proud of our love for one another. But honestly, I was ashamed that we weren't able to do a better job of marriage. We seldom fought. We were faithful to each other. We tried to put God first and consider each other more important than ourselves. However, we were never able to achieve the “oneness” thing. It was always as though we stood on opposite sides of the Grand Canyon—looking at the same thing but seeing it from opposite angles. We were both vocal in describing our perspective, but were each baffled by why our views seldom lined up. I really believed God wanted us to become more “one”—pulling together, rather than each of us holding one of the reins, straining for control of the perspective.

Isn’t marriage intended to reflect the relationship between Christ and the Church—the picture in Ephesians 5? I assumed my husband would become more like Jesus, eventually—loving me sacrificially, helping me become more and more Christlike myself. I expected that we would become one, like Jesus and His Father; that we would grow to think more alike, to be of one mind.

We were married fifty-three years. We had plenty of time to line up our thinking. We had the same spiritual goals in mind. We gave each other respect and love but I was always disappointed at the lack of spiritual intimacy. Instead, for the sake of peace, we each developed oneness or spiritual intimacy with the Lord Himself—instead of with each other.

To me, the word finished implied something was finally perfected, refined. It needed nothing else. I defined marriage perfection as oneness. But the Lord was giving me another definition.

Perfection, He reminded me, is when something accomplishes what it was made for—when it fulfills its created purpose. Our marriage seemed so flawed, so much less than it could have been. But had our marriage achieved its purpose?

I thought its purpose was to bring glory to God through our oneness with one another. But the Lord whispered that marriage is only a shadow of a oneness yet to be fulfilled and the purpose of our marriage was to create longing for ultimate oneness with Him. Well, our marriage certainly did that—for both of us.

So, our marriage completed its purpose! I can’t help but laugh with awe and joy and a thankful heart. The burden of thinking our marriage was unfinished is lifted. I can let it go. And for the Lord to draw near and gently line my thinking up with His perspective is perfectly perfect!

PREVIOUS ENTRY | NEXT ENTRY
SUBMIT YOUR ENTRY FOR THIS WEEK'S CHALLENGE

The opinions expressed by authors may not necessarily reflect the opinion of FaithWriters.com.

Accept Jesus as Your Lord and Savior Right Now - CLICK HERE
JOIN US at FaithWriters for Free. Grow as a Writer and Spread the Gospel.