A Relationship not to enter into lightly

At each and every wedding that I officiate at there is a time in the service where I tell the couple before me, that this is a relationship not to enter into lightly. Words that come from scripture. Words that mean that Marriage is a relationship, only second in importance to that of the one we are to have with Christ as our Lord and Savior. And like any relationship that you find yourself in, they take work by both husband and wife to make marriage a mutual blessing. This past Sunday, Beckie and I celebrated 35 years of marriage, wow, that's a long time. There are days when I don't feel much older then 35 and there are days that Beckie says that I act like I am no more then 5! Anyway, because of all of our personality traits , our mood swings, kids, jobs, finances and all of that other stuff that brings stress into our lives, Marriage takes work! It takes massive amounts of patience, it takes saying "I'm Sorry" and meaning it. It takes forgiveness that sometimes doesn't come easy to give and it takes perseverance when tempted to throw in the towel. But mostly what it takes is Christ in the midst of your marriage relationship. Without Christ being an important part of both the husband and wives lives, marriage can become a relationship that may not last long or be filled with problems that are not easily overcome. I love being married to my wife. I cannot imagine not having someone to not share my life with and to not trying my best to immerse myself into her life as well. So, for those of you who are married out there, first piece of advice. Strengthen your relationship with Christ and your marriage will get stronger and the second piece is to consider your spouses needs more important then your own. Oh, one more, have dinner together every once in awhile, with no other family or friends with you and sit across the table from one another and just visit! You will soon see your relationship growing. May you celebrate many happy anniversaries with your spouse in the coming years. Pastor Rick