HAPPY WORLD MARRIAGE DAY!
The second Sunday in February (today!) is World Marriage Day! The mission statement for this day reads,
World Marriage Day honors husband and wife as the foundation of the family, the basic unit of society. It salutes the beauty of their faithfulness, sacrifice, and joy in daily married life. celebratory
As soon as I heard about this wonderful observance day (not sure this qualifies as a holiday or not), I knew I wanted to do something special. I considered writing my husband a note or posting a quote on my book’s Facebook page, but the more I thought about what this day should mean to me personally, the more I kept coming back to the word:
CELEBRATE
As a society, it seems that we are constantly trying to defend or define marriage. While that is needed, I think what we need the most, is simply people willing to celebrate their own marriage. For me personally, I spend so much time trying to improve myself as a wife, and our marriage, that I am humbled to realize how often I neglect to celebrate it.
I began reading marriage books by Christian authors when I started dating Jason. Since then, I have constantly tried to apply different principles and tips to help us figure out what a godly marriage is supposed to look like. My heart behind this attitude is noble: simply to be the best wife I can be and to have a healthy, vibrant marriage. However, the reality is that my desire to constantly improve has left me with little time to appreciate the marriage that we have.
Right now, my husband and I are in the season of little children. We have four children (whose ages are 5,3,2,&1) and a fifth baby on the way. This is a hectic season of trying to meet the needs of our babes, the demands of life, and carving out time with each other.
I easily grow discouraged in my attempts to make sure I am keeping my husband before the children and prioritizing quality time and romance in order connect and communicate in an intimate way. To be honest, on certain days, I view marriage more as a project to complete rather than a daily gift to open. Praying for my husband can feel more like a wifely duty rather than a lover’s delight. My to-do list continually grows as I try to to keep up with what the marriage experts say I should be doing. Bottom line: marriage, at my current pace, is exhausting.
All of the above is NOT celebrating marriage!
The Lord wants me to continue improving as a wife because a marriage that honors Him is a good thing.
Yet, I also feel His gracious hand inviting me to relax and simply celebrate my marriage just how it is — imperfections and all.
What a breath of fresh air He is offering to this winded wife!
So, on this World Marriage Day, that is exactly what I am doing. I am celebrating God’s goodness to our family, the privilege of being a wife, the gift of my husband, and all the ups and downs my marriage might see today. I choose to celebrate! I choose to enjoy!
Marriage is a wonderful institution, and no matter what season you find yourself in, choose to revel in it!
Please leave a comment sharing how you celebrate marriage!
Sharing with Wedded Wednesday.
Janice Fisher says
Thank you for sharing your little gold nuggets of wisdom!
darbyd says
You’re welcome. Thank you for always being so encouraging! 🙂