A marriage not properly secured, will most likely unravel just as a knitted garment with a dropped stitch. Joel and I are celebrating the blessing and the process of 20 years of marriage this week. We recognize our dropped stitches have been secured by a source other than ourselves.
There’ve been times of family laughter and family sorrow. Some health concerns recognized and resolved. Others accepted as part of life. Economic challenges causing fiery discussions have morphed into greater generosity and hopeful expectations. In the practice of communication, failure to understand each other has generated more words of gentle and patient explanation.
Both of us recognize the need to remain teachable. As willing students, we identify the dropped stitches needing to be secured in order to celebrate our lives knitted together. Who is our teacher? The One who said, “The two shall become one.” He also said, “I give you difficult directions to follow but then I help you successfully carry them out.”
As we bring our failures and frustrations to loving Father God, he’s given us greater understanding of situations and shows us how to achieve success in the midst of frustration. He then joins us as we practice healthier attitudes and execution of strategy together.
We can’t help but give God thanks for reaching out to us with his loving and wise help. His repair of our dropped stitches haven’t cost us anything except taking time to focus on him and being open to his loving instruction. In this amazing process, the three of us become more securely knitted together.
Our lives are in his hands, and he keeps our feet from stumbling. You have tested us, O God; you have purified us like silver melted in a crucible…. For I cried out to him for help, praising him as I spoke. If I had not confessed the sin in my heart, my Lord would not have listened. But God did listen! He paid attention to my prayer. Praise God, who did not ignore my prayer and did not withdraw his unfailing love from me. (NLT: Psalms 66:9-10, 17 – 20)
A person standing alone can be attacked and defeated, but two can stand back-to-back and conquer. Three are even better, for a triple-braided cord is not easily broken. (NLT: Ecclesiastes 4: 12)