There's more than happiness...

I'm not stranger to the average family these days. You know, the screwed up kind. Don't get me wrong, I absolutely love my family...but I remember a time when it didn't seem to matter if I loved them or not. I was lost in what seemed to be a life always and completely unexpected.

I've got every kind of sibling I think there is to have. Full, half, step....quarter? It's been an interesting journey. And while I can say now I wouldn't change any of it for the world, I can also say I've learned exactly what I don't want to see my own family have to go through. Pondering the past, I can't help but think of marriage. I've seen families fall apart before my eyes. So what is it? What's it like? What's the key to it's success? Obviously, I'm not married so I don't have any sort of personal experience to go by, but what I do feel like I have is the Creator of that marriage. The more I talk with Him about it, the longer this question lurks in my mind. What if we worried less about our happiness, and more about our holiness? To me, marriage is an opportunity to practice complete and utter selflessness. That's hard. Really hard. He didn't come to show us happiness, He came to show us holiness. What better way than to serve your spouse, the person you love, in order to glorify and honor Him. In order to allow Him to make you Holy through the act of selflessness.

I know we're not all called to be married, but if you are remember that marriage is more about holiness than it is about happiness. Some will disagree...and that's perfectly ok with me. You can take that up with Him! :)