this chord of three strands

Today is my 22nd wedding anniversary.

I have now been married for just under half my life 🙂

I have learned two key lessons, mostly the hard way, over the two + decades we have been a couple.  They are key because without them, the song of our marriage quickly turns into dischord, and things remain off kilter until they are added back into the mix.

It doesn’t take two to make a marriage work.

It takes God, & community.  

The two keys to making sure you have all the resources & support you might need, because you will need them.

1. God:

When God is interwoven into your marriage, you become bound together beyond the physical, mental & emotional ties we can make on earth.  You become one in spirit.  This was the ultimate design God had for us in marriage, to be united together with Him as He will fully be united with His bride one day soon.  He becomes the strength of your bond, beyond your earthly union.

2. Community:

When you have a community around you to support you, you have help to work through the trials, storms & unexpecteds life can throw at you.  You have care for when you are wounded, direction when you can’t see God through the storm, and combined wisdom & gifts beyond your own, especially if your support network are believers.

On your own, you can falter.

In community, you have support when the hard times hit. You know you are not alone.

With God, you have His eternal resources within reach, and you can endure beyond whatever tries to pull your marriage apart.  You have protection through the storms. Your spirit knows you are not alone, for He is intimately with you.

My hubby & I have come through many trials & storms, losses & joys.

We have learned community is vital for keeping us grounded, and connected with one another.  We know we are cared for.

But more importantly, we have learned God is essential for keeping us loving one another, and strengthening our bond.  We know we are loved, and can express that love to one another throughout our lifetime together.

Community supports.

God strengthens.

The cord of three strands in the physical realm needs community to flourish.

The cord of three strands in the spiritual realm requires God to grow, deepen and mature into the reflected image of Jesus & His bride.

We can’t have one without the other.

For hubby & i are one, together one strand in the tapestry He is weaving in our lives.

God & community make up the other two strands.

If you too are married, may He grant you and your spouse a deeper revelation of how He wants to be intimately interwoven into the very fabric of your marriage, and become all you need in order for you to stay together.

May you find the melody He desires for your marriage, as you allow Him to write your love song, and allow the community around you to harmonize where it is needed.