Today's word is turn.
GO.
"To Mecca thou turnest, with burning eyes and lips that sweat, Ah, Hajji, where wilt thou turn, when thou art there, when thou art there?" - James Elroy Flecker, The Golden Journey to Samarkand
Ann Landers once wrote that a marriage isn't two people looking at each other, it;s two people looking together, in the same direction.
Presumably, looking into their future.
But what happens when they reach their their future?
It may be the well-established family, it may be the big house in the country, it may be the secure and active retirement.
All too often things fall apart, because they were focused on the destination.
They were looking forward. But in the end, it;s not looking ahead, or behind. It;s not even enjoying the journey.
The direction to turn is up, because marriage - and life - are hard.
And we need help from on high.
I turn my eyes to the hills, whence cometh Thy help.
STOP
If you have the chance, please stop by my other blog, "Starting The Day With Grace", at www.dailygracequote.wordpress.com.
Very nice post! And, yes, marriage - and life - ARE hard! Thank you for reminding us to keep our focus in the right direction and enjoy the journey! Have a blessed weekend!
ReplyDelete~Rebecca (dropping by from Five Minute Friday)
Thanks, Rebecca - I appreciate your comment, and your presence.
DeleteY'all have a great weekend, too!
Thank you for the reminder to turn our eyes upward for help. Life can be a challenge but God can see us through anything.
ReplyDeleteHe sure can! Though sometimes, we do have to acknowledge that His perspective is eternal...and that can be uncomfortable for us while we're yet Earthlings.
DeleteThank you for stopping by (and for your gracious comment on Kate's FMF post).
Yes, it is so important in marriage to keep our vision focused upward on Him! I've always heard that there need to be three people in a marriage for it to be successful -- husband, wife, and most importantly, God. He is the glue that holds marriages together when things get difficult. I've been going through a very difficult season in my life and my personal faith has been shaken a lot through it. I don't know what I would do if God was not in the center of our marriage because I have leaned on my husband's faith a lot (and his faith has been an encouragement to me through my weakness of faith) during all of this. Our mutual faith is one reason why we have our second daughter and she is a HUGE blessing to our lives! Excellent post! Stopping by from the FMF party! Have a blessed Friday!
ReplyDeleteIt definitely takes three. In William E. Barrett's superb book "The Left Hand of God", the sections are indeed called: "A Man"; "A woman"; "...and God".
DeleteI'm so glad your husband has been a tower of faith in whose strength you can rest. That is so important, and really one of the prime functions of marriage as a sacrament.
I hope that your path through your present trails will be made smoother by the arms of faith in which you can rest, and God's unstinting love for you.
You're in my prayers - have a wonderful weekend1
Thank you for this beautiful post on the word TURN; and the reminder to turn our eyes upon HIM, the one who can and will guide our paths.
ReplyDeleteAnd thank you for visiting!
DeleteGod bless!
There is a song that says, "I will lift my eyes, to the hills and their Creator" and I love it and your post got it stuck in my head again, which is a good thing. :) Thanks for the reminder to look uP!
ReplyDeleteAnd now it's in my head, too! :)
DeleteAs usual, I loved this post, Andrew. The reminder to look UP? I need it daily. More in the phase I'm in with mothering than with my marriage (things are good there right now). Not that the marriage can take a back seat, because I know that my relationship with my husband is the primary earthly priority as far as relationships go. Especially when things are hard, Hubby and I need to be looking up. Thanks, Andrew!
ReplyDeleteThanks, Jeanne!
DeleteVery good point that you can't slack off when things are going well. It's easy to drop your gaze and then you...oh, look, a SQUIRREL!
I'm glad you dropped by. Thanks1
Amen! We can't do stick together on our own--we daily need to seek strength and direction from God. Without him, my marriage would have failed numerous times.
ReplyDeleteMine too...actually, mine DID fail, but with God's help it was restored.
DeleteWe do get to celebrate two anniversaries...which is kind of cool.
Thank you for the reminder to turn up. So often I find myself turning in other directions, without even realizing it. Great encouragement for marriage and life!
ReplyDeleteThe only hope we have is looking UP. Looking at each other can sometimes be confusing. Looking at the future is certainly uncertain.
ReplyDeleteGood stuff, Andrew. Good stuff.