the love journey...

Yes, we've all been on a journey - many journeys.  Our marriage journey.  That is a journey we take in life.  Most would think of it starting the day we got married or maybe the day we started dating our husband/wife.  This past year I've discovered it started way before that.  And I'm thinking it should be called our love journey.  First, the philia kind of love.  Philia means close friendship or brotherly love.  Second, the eros kind of love.  Eros is the word used to express sexual love or the feelings of arousal that are shared between people who are physically attracted to one another.  We all set out to find "love" at some point or another.
I think back to elementary school... the notes, "Will you go out with me?"  Circle "Yes or No" or "Will you be my girlfriend/boyfriend?"  Back then, I think we just wanted that giggly feeling inside that someone liked us and wanted us to be their girlfriend.
Then I go back to high school...  What are the reason's we sought relationships with the opposite sex?  I think there are many different reasons.  Self-esteem, popularity, friendship, sex..  just to name a few.
And on to college... Some sought relationships, some just drunken one night stands, some of us just wanted casual relationships - we wanted him/her just when it was convinient, when we were lonely, when we want to make that other person jealous...
Then you finally meet the person that in your mind is marriage material...  Why?  I'm sure we all have different reasons.  For me, the number one thing was "Is he a Christian?"...
Then the time comes and he proposes... She says yes.  We start planning our wedding day.  We are so in love!
The wedding day happens.  It's perfect.  and then we fast forward.... 6 months, 1 year, 3 years... or longer...Bliss lasts longer for some, but there is always going to be rocky roads... some experience more then others..
so that brings me to today... or maybe my past year...  I've been married 7 years 6 months.  I think my bliss lasted throught the honeymoon.  I will say that is mostly because of my selfishness, independence, and belief that I don't deserve to have a good marriage.  Would I have said that statement 3 years ago?!?  No.  I would have cast the blame on my husband, my job, my past and even God.  (I will talk about our past later - as I feel our past have a big part in our marriage story). But first, we will ask "Why blame God?"  I blamed Him because my life didn't look like the picture I painted in my mind.  So, first I needed to hand God my future and allow Him to be the artist.  Oh, I still struggle with this daily but if we want our marriages to last, we need to allow God to be the artist of our lives.
And He (Jesus) was saying to them all, “If anyone wishes to come after Me, he must deny himself, and take up his cross daily and follow Me. For whoever wishes to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for My sake, he is the one who will save it." -Luke 9:23-24 NAS

MY CHALLENGE TO MYSELF AND YOU:  Ask God to be the center of your world.  Dig into His Word.  Spend time praying with Him.  If you don't know where to start, first talk to God.  Talk to Him about your life (your daily struggles, your latest victories).  He cares about all aspects of your life.  Ask Him to help you spend time with Him daily.  And if you haven't read the Bible begin by reading the book of Mark (go to biblegateway.com and type in Mark).  

Then he (Jesus) told them what they could expect for themselves: “Anyone who intends to come with me has to let me lead. You’re not in the driver’s seat—I am. -Luke 9:23 The Message