- "Love is not a feeling, it's an act of the will." -
My husband and I have been married 28 1/2 years. Little did we know when we said our vows, that we would be learning so much of the "in sickness" part of our promise. Many people with chronic or fatal illnesses lose their spouses. The stresses and pressures are great. Chronic illness is a lonely road to walk and requires a lot of time and energy which are taken away from other things. Communication becomes even more challenging and there are usually added financial burdens. Meeting each others needs and putting each other first takes great strength as the pain, exhaustion, time and energy are spent on seeing doctors, having tests, going to physical therapy, taking medications and supplements, traveling to specialists, researching etc. Priorities of husband and wife do not always match. Misunderstanding is common. A person who is in pain and not sleeping well is not always patient.
All lasting marriages require hard work. I have been extremely blessed with a husband who takes his commitment to our marriage covenant very seriously. He knows that marriage is a picture of Christ and the church, and strives to put Jesus first and our marriage second. He is not a perfect man or husband, but he is the one God has joined me to and I rejoice and thank God for him. The reason we have been able to stay together in sickness and in health,is NOT because either one of us is great or because we are a perfect match and so "in love" all the time. Love is a choice. Love is action. Our marriage is built on the foundation of Jesus our Savior and HE keeps us together. Below are the lyrics to a song we had sung at our wedding (this is from memory so may not be exact).
I could never promise you,
On just my strength alone.
That all my life I'd care for you,
And love you as my own.
I've never known the future,
I only see today,
Words that last a lifetime,
Would be more than I could say.
But the love inside my heart today,
Is more that mine alone
It never changes, never fails,
Never seeks its own.
And by the God who gives it
And lives in me and you,
I know the words I speak today,
Are words I'm going to do.
So I stand before you now
For all to hear and see,
To promise you in Jesus' name
The love he's given me.
And through our years on earth,
And as eternity goes by,
The life and love he's given us
Are never going to die.
I thank God I am not alone even though at times I feel lonely. I thank Gregg for loving me in sickness and in health, till death do us part.
Ellen
