THE PERFECT MARRIAGE

Today, Teresa and I celebrate 20 years of marriage. It is unbelievable that we have been married for 20 years; and there is something about the milestone of 20 that brings back some extra memories. Some memories are unrelated, such as the fact that 20 years ago yesterday, on the night before our wedding, we were doing what most everyone else in America was doing: watching O.J. Simpson driving down a highway in California, as he was wanted for questioning in the death of his wife. But much more importantly, although watched by less people, I married my best friend and the most beautiful woman in the world on June 18, 1994.

Now, back to the title of this blog entry. Just in case you thought I was referring to my marriage as the perfect marriage....I was! But maybe not in the way you think. We are far from perfect, and we have had our challenges over the years like anyone else. I have probably caused the majority of any problems because of my selfish, sinful nature. We would never say we have the perfect marriage as it is normally defined. We have enjoyed these 20 years, and I am so grateful to God for the gift of my wife and for these amazing 20 years.

The "perfect" part relates to one way that "perfect" can be translated in Scripture. It can mean "mature" rather than flawless. And as I think about God's purpose in our sanctification, and discipleship as our main goal in life, we do have the "perfect" marriage. Why? Because, from my perspective, the greatest way in which God has used my marriage in my life, and hers, is that He has used this most intimate relationship to bring both of us closer to Him. The details of marriage, over these years, have tested us, to seek God's face and keep all of our hope in Him alone. Growing in Christ, to a greater maturity, means that our marriage has indeed been "perfect" so far.

Happy Anniversary Teresa!  By God's grace, I look forward to our next year of "perfection": growing closer to one another and Him!