In the LORD put I my trust.
How say ye to my soul,
“Flee as a bird to your mountain”?  

Psalm 11:1

This verse is particularly applicable to my marriage and the counsel I’ve received lately on that subject. One counselor in particular has schooled me in all the reasons I have to leave my husband (i.e. flee to my mountain). Are the reasons legitimate? Yes, but I refuse to listen, for I have put my trust in the Lord, not in my husband.

My husband has failed me, and he will fail me again. I too have failed him and will do so yet again. We don’t fail because we want to; we fail because we are flawed human beings. But God is not like us. He is perfect, sinless, holy, righteous, faithful, and true. He cares about our marriage because He created it. I can trust Him with every part of my life, including my marriage, for He is working all things together for my good and His glory. If you were to read the pages of my journal, you would see me coming back to this same truth over and over again. Perhaps I sound like a broken record, but I need to hear it repeatedly because I tend to forget.

Dear reader, if you are married, chances are you have also felt like quitting on your marriage, or you do now, or you will eventually. Maintaining a strong and fulfilling marriage takes hard work. I can’t speak for everyone, but as for me, I had no earthly idea what I was getting into when I got married. But the harder the battle, the sweeter the victory. Conflict creates interest, as long as it doesn’t become the focus.

If you are unhappy in your marriage, perhaps it’s because you expect your spouse to make you happy. That is an unfair and selfish demand. Only Christ can fully, deeply, richly satisfy. I pray it does not take you as long to learn that as it did me.

I was going to keep this one to myself, but the Holy Spirit urged me to share, for He knows what needs are out there. I am not a marriage counselor, just someone who wants to encourage others to keep pressing on in the things that matter.

Written July 1, 2017
Photo taken on Skyline Drive, Virginia, 2014