Sunday, November 18, 2007

Opposites but the same

I have grown to love my husband more differently than I ever could have imagined. Andy is an incredible man of God with so much passion for our Lord it makes me cry.
However, our personalities, bodies, and behaviors are pretty much opposite. He's big, I'm small. He's overly critical, I'm overly accepting. He says it "how it is", I need a white board (its kind of an inside joke, but it basically means that my brain and my mouth don't often work as a team). I love to paint and dream, he loves to make things into charts and grafts. I have "looking eyes", he doesn't (another inside joke). His brain is a little more organized, mine is kind of all over the place. I love horses, he hates them and only rides them because he loves me. He would much rather sit on the couch and watch football all weekend, I would much rather do projects and "fun stuff" all weekend. HA! He is more of a home-body, me, not so much. He is a fast big decision maker, I am slow. He is a firey (speaking more about personality) red-head, I am a dark-brown head. I am female, he is male. You laugh at this last one, but hey, it's a big one, am I right?
These things make me laugh because isn't that just God? Somehow He has made us one. With all the differences, we are like gears that fit just perfectly when we are aligned with the Third and perfect Gear. It is a messy picture when are not lined up, believe me. I can't tell you how many times we have argued, yelled, cried and screamed at each other about stupid things.
But having God as the center has made us the same. We have the same heart because we have the same Spirit in us. All of those differences actually make it fun and exciting. Andy pushes me and pulls me in directions than I would have never gone to without him. I do the same for him. Iron sharpening iron.
If someone would have asked me, when we were first married, where I thought Andy and I would be in 8 years I would have never guessed that we would be in ministry together. I think I would have even chuckled if someone suggested that. We have grown A LOT since we've been married. We have allowed the Lord to do some serious rototilling in our hearts because we knew deep down that life is Good. And just because we are different didn't mean that God was wrong.
I have realized that life with God is amazing, beautiful, fun, and exciting. But to see this side of God and to see the goodness in marriage you have to talk about hard stuff, you have to communicate, you have to share and you have to pray together. And just because you have done this a few times or maybe even a lot of times doesn't mean you are good to go for the rest of your life. It is a constant renewing, constant changing, constant communication. I am not the same person I was last week, so why should I just assume that Andy would know that if I hadn't talked with him? Talking, communicating, laughing, and remembering that our spouse is imperfect just like us. These seem to be things that our society has forgotten about.
Without Jesus, I really don't know how any marriage can last, let alone thrive. He has become our Rock, the One to fill the holes in our hearts first. This is how we can love one another. This is the only way He will be able to increase the Kingdom of God as we travel in a not-so-spacious RV. I owe it all to Him.
Lord, continue molding and shaping Andy and I into the One you know us to be.

1 comment:

Mama in Uganda said...

Thanks for the blog note. I would love to meet you too. I will be in Roseburg November 25-January 1st. So, pleaselet me know if you are coming down. Keep your eyes on eternity. Love, Summer