If you had a chance to read my blog from earlier today, you read about my love for the song, “Love is Not a Fight” by Warren Barfield. I’ve been moved by many songs and their lyrics in the past, but this one really made an impact. I think it might have been because of where I was at that time. Praying for answers. Feeling God’s presence, but not knowing where His leading would take me or our marriage. Thankfully, He knew where we were headed.
Where are you right now? Are you in an all too quiet marriage? Are you strangers in the same house? Do you still love each other, but don’t know how to find your way back? Are you looking for what once was, not realizing that what could be is even better than you could imagine?
If you are in any of those places, know that God can work in you and your spouse. What seems impossible can become possible if you are both willing to give everything over to the one who loves you the most. I truly believe that God can work in any person’s heart and make them come around. I do believe that. But, I also know that people are free to make their own choices and that even though God may be trying everything to get through to that person, sometimes they choose to walk away. It is not what God intended. It is not what He wants for His children. But even when that happens, He is still going to be there, for both parties. He will never leave. He is the rock to stand on when everything around you feels like it is sinking.
Like it says in the song,
Love will come to save us
If we’ll only call
He will ask nothing from us
But demand we give our all
Notice it says “demand WE give our all”? A marriage is indeed like a cord of three strands. Think of a braid. If one piece of the braid becomes frayed or begins to fall away, the braid loses its strength. That is what happens in a marriage. Every ill word, turned back, dismissed conversation begins to fray the strands. If the main strand-a relationship with God-is not cultivated and cared for, the braid has little chance of maintaining its strength or integrity. If you are there, recognize what has happened and pray to God, plead to God to send angels to guard the door of your marriage. Find one thing, one blessing that God has given or shown to you that you can be thankful for and thank Him. It’s amazing what gratitude can do for your heart. When you are praying, don’t forget to pray for your spouse. Yes. You read that correctly. Pray that God will send His spirit into your spouse and begin to re-strengthen those frayed edges. While you’re at it, pray the same for yourself. Pray that God will show you where you have possibly contributed to the fraying of the cord. Ask him for forgiveness and to see your spouse with a new set of eyes.
I did this. Was it easy? Absolutely not. I was hurt. I was angry. But I loved him and I loved God even more. Was I perfect and do this all the time? Definitely not. Was it necessary? Without question. God used those moments to speak into my heart and I believe he did the same with my husband. I will never know whether my prayers impacted my husband’s heart, or whether his prayers impacted mine. All I know is that we were both willing to give our marriage over to the one who brought us together in the first place.
If you need to know someone is praying for you, please leave a comment here, on facebook or twitter. And if you don’t feel comfortable doing that, just know that I am praying for anyone who reads this blog to grow in a deeper and meaningful relationship with Jesus.
In case you want to hear the song I keep referencing, here it is…courtesy of Warren Barfield’s own VEVO channel. I hope it blesses you as much as it has blessed me!
