The true commitment

As I was out this morning excercising, I met the sweetest old couple. They looked to be in their eighties, and were walking around the park together. He had a walker, and she was a lot quicker. Yet you could tell that after what was i'm sure years of marriage, they were still best friends. We made pleasent conversation, and each time I passed them, I began to wonder about their story. Marriage has been on my mind a lot lately. It's not that i've been caught up dreaming about my own marriage...it's more been that I keep seeing stories of the commitment of marriage, and what a beautiful thing it is. I was wondering about this elderly couple's story, and thinking ' I am fairly certain that they have endured things that would break a lot of marriages up these days.' And that truly saddened me. Now, I don't know if that thought had any truth to it, however, I do know that any person who has lived has had to endure hardship of some form or another. The difference, is that people not that long ago were a whole lot more willing to be selfless and endure something, than be selfish while enduring something. I am also in the middle of reading "The Vow," By Kim and Krikket Carpenter. Their story inspired the film that just came out, however, the true story is quite different. I don't want to spoil the book, and I highly reccomend it to anyone, but there was one constant thing that stuck out to me through the whole thing. The circumstances that this couple had to endure were unimaginable. After just 10 weeks of marriage, everything they knew was ripped apart. Though the process was long, painful, hurtful, and nearly unbearable, they both recognized the fact that God had brought them together, they had made a commitment for better or for worse, and no matter what happened, they were going to stick by those vows. I pray that I never know anyone who has to go through something like that, yet I wish more people would pay attention. The reasons people get divorced these days are utterly ridiculous compared to something like that! If those two people could honor their commitment after something so horrible, then why can't people seem to work out minor issues these days? I, like any other woman have longed for marriage and a husband. And i'm not certain, but I think I have a different outlook on it than most people in my generation. What a beautiful gift, to let someone in so close to you that you build your life with them. What a beautiful thing to have someone by your side to help you through the hard times. What a beautiful thing to get to give of yourself more than you thought you could, even when it's utterly painful. Believe me, I can be just as selfish as anyone else, but every single time I choose to give rather than recieve, I end up feeling better. Odd how that works out. Marriage is most definetly a give and take, but if i'm not giving 100% someday,I don't think my marriage will be as successful as it could be. People say marriage is 50/50, but I want to give all of me, not just 50% of me. I think people in my generation are also disillusioned into thinking that just because their single right now, means that what they do doesn't effect their future marriage. I don't know when i'll get married, but I do know that I am called to honor my husband even now. I am called to save myself for him physically, spiritually, and emotionally. I am called to pray for him. I would hope that if my husband saw me interacting with another man today, he would know that my heart was and always will be his. I've always said, and truly believed that no matter what may come to be in my married life, I will fight with absolutely everything in me to get through and cherish my marriage.People say it's impossible these days to see long, happy, lasting marriages. And it may be presumptious to say so, but I will have one of those. That's what God intented. No, he doesn't promise a fairytale, but then, I wouldn't want that either. I'm sure that part of why that old couple remained best friends, was becuase with each hardship they encountered they relyed on eachother, and grew deeper together. How awesome is that? Life is going to be extremely difficult no matter what, why not share those burdens with someone else? Why not have the joy of a life long best friend, who you can look back on the years with, and know that your commitment, was the best decesion you ever made? Whether you're married, single, engaged, dating, I hope that when you think about your marriage, you don't get caught up in the fantasy. I hope that you remeber that each step you take with that person is a gift, and how blessed you are to have it. And I pray that one day, you can be an old person, out with your spouse, and a young person will see you, and wonder how your love is so beautiful.