Our Good and Perfect Love Story: Nobody Thought Our Marriage Would Last

Roger and I have a great story. We've floated on sunshiny clouds of hope and peace, and we've been whipped and tossed by dark storms of anger and fear. At other times we've drifted in aimless doldrums, bored, stuck, and discontented.

Our first year was pretty tough. Even after the Lord rescued us early in our marriage, sometimes doubt surfaced, making us wonder if we did a good thing by marrying each other that beautiful, spring Saturday. But our covenant has lasted, by the grace of God. He invented marriage, and he helped us. He made it possible for a return to joy after sadness, faithfulness after infidelity, peace after turmoil.

More than one time, Jesus calmed our dangerous storm like he did for the disciples in Mark chapter 4.

The story in Mark's gospel contrasts with a different Bible story from the earlier Hebrew Scriptures. There another man was roused from sleep, on a boat, during a storm. In Jonah, the man was reluctantly sacrificed by the other sailors, thrown into the waves to calm the raging sea. In Mark's storm-calming story the Man only spoke, rebuking the wind. He said to the sea, "Peace! Be still," and the storm stopped. Instantly!

Twice, through godly counsel, the Master did the same for Roger and me, calming the impossible storm that hurled us about. By his word.

I invite you to laugh and cry with us, and thank the Lord for his great goodness, when we didn't deserve it at all.