Better than Soul Mates

Hi.

You know the "trending" news feed on Facebook?  I have a love/hate relationship with it.  I love when actually important stuff pops up there, laugh at the stupid headlines that are deemed newsworthy (you know... TMZ kind of news), and feel overwhelmed by the number of stories that make me disgusted with humanity.

Anyway, did you spy with your little eye that Nicholas Sparks is separating from his wife of twenty-five years?  Sad and ironic, right?  Side note: one of the things that made me adore Jered when we met, was that he enjoyed Nicholas Sparks books.  I didn't care for them at all, but thought it was endearing that he had this soft side.  Ahem, I mean he's really tough... and stuff.

I came across THIS BLOG POST on Facebook as well, addressing the problem with people believing that real life is like a Nicholas Sparks novel.  Another side note: luckily for me, Jered didn't fall into that category.

Well, this guy's posts end up on Facebook quite often, I think, because he's very outspoken about controversial topics, and he uses shock value in his titles.  Sometimes I think he just comes across hot headed and over the top, but generally I agree with him.

Here is an excerpt from the post linked above:

"We’ve got it all backwards, you see. I didn’t marry my wife because she’s The One, she’s The One because I married her. Until we were married, she was one, I was one, and we were both one of many. I didn’t marry The One, I married this one, and the two of us became one. I didn’t marry her because I was “meant to be with her,” I married her because that was my choice, and it was her choice, and the Sacrament of marriage is that choice. I married her because I love her — I chose to love her — and I chose to live the rest of my life in service to her. We were not following a script, we chose to write our own, and it’s a story that contains more love and happiness than any romantic fable ever conjured up by Hollywood."  - Matt Walsh

When I read that I thought, "Hmm.  Being the one Jered chose to marry is a lot more meaningful than being 'The One' or, try not to gag: 'soul mates.'"  I don't know why anyone would prefer it the other way.  The fact that Jered is daily choosing to love me, despite the fact that we aren't a perfect match, is a big deal.  It's a testament to the kind of man he is- one who knows what love is really about.  In fact, when we first said "I love you" to each other, he gave us homework!  We read as many Bible passages on love as we could find.  He knew it wasn't just the emotional, butterfly-inducing feelings.

(Right around that time)

It's not always pretty sunsets and flowers, but our marriage is good.  You know, it's better than sunsets and flowers because we are strengthening and sharpening each other with each worked-through argument.  We are growing and loving and becoming more of who God created us to be because God is using us to teach each other.  

And that's so much better than just being soul mates.

Talk to you later,

Aim