God hates divorce. (Malachi 2:16.)
There aren't many places in the Bible where God says point blank that He hates something. So needless to say, God's adament stance on this issue really made an impression on my heart when I read about it Friday morning. God hates divorce!
These thoughts were underscored during my conversation with the 70-yr man on the plane. He shared with me that he and his wife had divorced many decades ago. I asked him why they split up and how they had gotten together in the first place. And then I asked, "Do you regret it?" And he said, "Yes." And then - to my surprise - tears formed in his eyes and his voice broke as he said to me, "It was so painful." What a picture. It's been more than 30 years since the divorce, and yet because divorce is so painful, it was still causing him to cry in front of a perfect stranger.
God hates divorce because that was not what He had planned from the beginning. He created the marriage covenant to be "for life". Once you're "one flesh", breaking apart really is like tearing up flesh - painful and not highly recommended.
The marriage covenant is deeply important to Him. What a reminder to me of the wisdom of taking my time and not trying to rush into anything.
My grandparents are really cute. I guess they've been married for about a gazillion years. Looking at them, I wouldn't say that they are what we normally label as a couple "in love", but it's evident that there's a deep committed love between them formed from all these years together. Their lives are completely entwined together. They're not two separate entities with separate lives; it's more like they're one entity with two identities. They just go together. They're partners, companions, an extension of each other, complements. Where he leaves off, she starts. Where she needs him, he fills in. No words, no questions, no requests. It just works.
What a mystery is this marriage thing.
And I've never heard them say one cross word to each other. Kinda crazy when I think of it.
So...here's a tribute to long and happy marriages.
And the irony of it all? Theirs was a betrothal. They didn't even "pick" each other. No dating. Nada. Just an agreement between their parents. What do you think, would it work today? I think it could... if we really believe that marriage is a commitment that we've gotta keep choosing every day of our married lives.
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