“Let marriage be held in honor (esteemed worthy, precious, of great price, and especially dear) in all things.” Hebrews 13:4 AMP
The look on my friend’s face was priceless when I said, “I’ve been married three times—to the same man. I could see the wheels turning and knew from past experience, the questions and comments that were sure to follow.
“I didn’t know you’d ever been divorced,” was the first.
“I haven’t,” I replied.
Brows furrowed in confusion and frustration. “But . . .”
I just smiled and explained.
When I married my husband, Charlie, over thirty years ago, we were young, a little stupid, and living a pretty worldly lifestyle. Our ceremony was simple, in my mother’s living room, and God wasn’t even on the guest list. We had done little more than obtain a license to live together.
After four years of struggling with our relationship and knowing something was missing in our marriage, I found out I was pregnant. That’s when the Lord began to pull on my heartstrings, gently wooing me back into His arms. Thankfully, my husband and I returned to Him together and our life drastically changed.
Three years later, we decided to renew our vows in celebration of all God had done. It was a beautiful ceremony beside a lake and we were surrounded by our new church friends and family. Exactly nine months later, our second child was born and it seemed to be God’s way of blessing our new commitment to Him.
Eighteen years later, we celebrated our twenty-fifth anniversary by renewing our vows once again. This time it was in a church, I finally wore a “real” wedding dress, and our son and daughter served as best man and maid of honor. We even had a “real” honeymoon.
Now, here we are thirteen more years down the road, best friends, and more in love than ever. Why? Because we invited the Lord to be the center and heart of all that we are, all that we have, and all we ever hope to be or accomplish. We have learned to, Let marriage be held in honor (esteemed worthy, precious, of great price, and especially dear) in all things.
If you want your marriage to be strong and stand the test of time, commit it to Him. Pray for each other, have fun together, and love each other unconditionally.
Some have asked if we’ll “marry” again. Maybe, maybe not. We have quite a few more years until our fiftieth, so we’ll see. But then, why bother? As they say, “third time’s a charm.”
Andrea Merrell is a freelance writer and editor with a passion to help others see God’s Word as practical and relevant for ordinary, everyday life. She has written material for ladies’ groups, marriage retreats, skits, websites, and brochures, and is currently working on three novels and countless devotions. Andrea is a staff writer and copy editor for www.ChristianDevotions.us and www.DevoKids.com, and lives in South Carolina with her husband (and best friend), Charlie. Visit her website at www.andreamerrell.com. Read Andrea’s devotions