on marriage

Wednesday, August 15



i preface this small and humble observation by merely pointing out i am no expert. 
that is, i've only been married one year to be exact. 

but in this one marvelous turn of the world,
where 365 moons have passed,
and we have only begun to learn the depths of care for each other,
a lovely truth has truly emerged so striking and so profound that I cannot deny it. 

ahh yes, and this is it:

we are better together, than apart. 

not just in the earthly sense which fills my most physical needs 

but in the most beautiful divine

when Kev and I began to talk about marriage, I began to wonder what the point of marriage was.  It wasn't because I had bad examples, far from that. Both sets of our parents have been married over 30 years and are unmistakably in love.

it was a deep sense of wondering how I could ever love God and people, more, being married.  
and then I got married and discovered that God's plan for marriage is just that. 
to work together as a team to radiate Christ's deep agape in a fuller expression. 

and herein lies the point of this small post. 
i so believe marriage is about mission. 

it's about being called by God as a team
to have a purpose higher than yourselves
to laugh and love and cry and journey with meaning
it's about fulfilling the great commission with your heavenly Love and your earthly dearest

and when we serve the Lord in tandem
and i watch kevin pick up a small child and swing him around
and read him stories
and pray with him
I am ever more in love with that radiant soul
because I am watching our Savior seep out of him

and that is glue. 
that binds. 

when we crawl out of our world
and together reach into the epic calling of Abba
is when we find life
and life together. 

henri nouwen says, 
"...marriage is foremost a vocation. Two people are called together to fulfill a mission that God has given them. Marriage is a spiritual reality. That is to say, a man and a woman come together for life, not just because they experience deep love for each other, but because they believe that God loves each of them with an infinite love and has called them to each other to be living witnesses of that love. To love is to embody God's infinite love in a faithful communion with another human being.

to say that we've attainted this fully would be foolish.
no, no, we struggle on. 
but last night as we both shared how we desire this next year of our marriage to look,
we knew it was to be centered around mission. 
that all who encounter us would be covered in a higher, deeper, richer heavenly love. 

because marriage isn't just about pleasing our earthly selves,
it is about serving a divine King and living out His calling on our lives
together

and boy is it one great adventure. 

love Katie 


21 comments :

  1. Gosh what a beautiful post!!! Happy anniversary. May there be many happy year together for you and Kevin.

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  2. The post is written beautifully! Thanks for sharing some insight from your marriage. The pictures are gorgeous as well :)
    Blessings!

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  3. Katie, even though we've never meet in person, I consider you to be such a role model. Your blog always points back to the Father and I come away wanting to know Him more.

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  4. Dang girl! You can write! This is so beautiful and very timely. Our wedding day is less than 3 weeks away and I want to ensure I meditate on your words. I was just sharing last night how blessed I feel to have my hubby- his love for me and mine for him has truly helped me to further understand the extent of God's love for us. Talk about humbling!

    Thank you for sharing, beautiful lady. And congratulations on one year of marital bliss! :)

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  5. Beautiful. This BLESSED me. Thank you for sharing, Katie!!!

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  6. Your guys' heart for the Kingdom and God's people is contagious!

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  7. This is so beautifully written, Katie! Just stopping by to say that I nominated you for the Liebster award on my blog. I think you have such an awesome blog!
    Katie
    abritandheryank.blogspot.com

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  8. Every time I've been on your blog this week, your posts have got me tearing up! I haven't even met in you in person and you just seep out Jesus so much it's infectious... and I'm sure your marriage does too!

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  9. this is so beautiful. marriage is such a high calling! "fulfilling the great commission with your heavenly Love and your earthly dearest"...amen sister :)

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  10. Yes, marriage is the best team I have been a part of!!! Congratulations on one year!!

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  11. Beautiful post, Katie! Love how you describe marriage...something I greatly look forward to:)

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  12. AMEN girlfriend!!! We read a book called Sacred Marriage when we were engaged and are actually re reading it through every night. It's the most amazing book talking about how marriage isn't just to make us happy, but to make us Holy. I've loved seeing why God saw it fit for me to be married to Joshua on a daily basis, for HIM!!! To bring more glory to HIS name!!! So blessed by your post and that you and your hubby serve the Lord the way you do!!!

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  13. This post was so well-written, you are truly an example of a God-breathed relationship & marriage. Your points are encouraging & enlightening on what I should strive for in my future marriage that honors Him. Thank you!

    Sarah

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  14. Aw, congratulations! What a beautiful post and message!

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  15. This is one of the best blog post I've read on marriage. Whoa. I have definitely found the same things to be true. We are stronger together. We serve better. It's so awesome to see what God has done. Congrats on one year! ;)

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  16. Congratulations. All of your pics are always so beautiful, as you are. I nominated you for a blogging award. Check out my page for the scoop. Xo.

    southerngirllivingthecitydream.blogspot.com

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  17. Congratulations on the anniversary! Your reflections on marriage are right on the mark--serving God together is the best thing there is!

    And, on a side note, it's weird finding out that, finally, I'm not nearly as much of a newlywed as many people are, with all the new married people this summer and everyone who got married in 2011. In a few months it'll be our 2nd anniversary and I feel like I'm supposed to be comparatively old and experienced. But then I remember all the people who have been married 20 or 35 years and I recall that I have a long way to go! :)

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  18. Beautifully written dear friend. I love that you touch on what the point of marriage is. I remember my friends asking if I felt like I was giving something up when I got married or if I felt trapped. And I told them I felt the opposite...I felt more free than i ever had and as far as giving something up, when I felt like I was gaining so much love, and a lifetime with someone else. Thank you for sharing and Happy Belated Anniversary!

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  19. aww happy anniversary. I agree about how marriage is a mission and a joining together to make a team committed to obedience of God's Word and to reflect the heart of God with how we act and treat others.
    +Victoria+

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