Love Often Marries (pt 2)

I’m writing from Blissdom, and it’s dark and all the keys look the same – forgive the occasional typo. But I want write for you guys – and sorry, but I have no time for pictures.

Remember, this is now what I thing about marriage – it’s just what the Bible says about it – I tend not to argue with the Bible too much, A commitment and closeness that is meant to last for life.  If I am fortunate enough to find a bride to cherish I am to “cling” to her. Cling sounds – well – clingy in English. But in the Hebrew it doesn’t have the “neediness” nuance. It is connection with passion and permanence.

Now this is some gramattical techy stuff – but important. Both “leaving” and “clinging”, in the Hebrew are in what’s called the “active voice”.  This means they are deliberate acts, intentional, not reflex, or instinct, or natural like breathing. A choice to be made, an intentional, for just one.

…and the two of them become one flesh. (GEN 2:24)

Now this word for “become” is the opposite. This one will happen. Remember, it’s not me, speaking from experience – or some books – or Oprah – it’s the Bible – and it says the “becoming” one flesh is a natural thing – like breathing.

I think it must go beyond “feeling” – because that’s us, and that’s fleeting.

I think we can ignore it, too, run from it, but it happens anyway.

It begins on day one and the Bible language implies that this will continue. Maybe that’s one reason why divorce can be so hard. Even if one person – or both destroy each other and want nothing to do with each other – that one-ness is still there.

“The man and his wife were both naked, yet they felt no shame” (GEN 2:25)

Marriage…

intimacy, even at the most basic level.

Trust.

Comfort.

a  baring of both

before each other,

in confidence, knowing that what is bared will not be used as a weapon.

no hiding,

no concealing,

facades dropped,

masks off,

to be that transparent…

The more I write this, the more more two things are happenint.

One: it makes me long for it. The way God has designed marriage seems so beautiful. I’ve never been that transparent with anyone except Our Lord.

Two: It makes me incredibly sad for those marriages where things are all a mess, where this original design is mangled. I hurt for those people. I know a few. To be this close – and yet so far from one other. I can’t imagine how much pain there is for a marriage become opposite of the design.

Is marriage really like this? Does it ever approach this level – or is all this pie in the sky stuff? I can’t answer those question. Almost all of you who read me are married though. You can. All I know is what the Word says – and what it says – boy it sounds beautiful,

Husband and bride…

meant to lift, warm, support, help, resemble, compliment and complete each  other.  All of this growing as two more and more become “one”.

But I guess that’s what we humans do isn’t it. We mess up the design. That comes next – but that’s next Wednesday – when I link up with Ann Voskamp again.

In God’s love.