We will do anything to keep the heart beating.
All of the other organs may break down, but if our hearts are still beating, our loved-ones have hope in their eyes, they press our hands and write us cards. The beloved well-spring of life. We battle through diseases, infections, cancers, and aging, all to keep that heart beating.
And, in the end, the heart is always the last thing to go.
When the heart dies, there is nothing else beneath it that can keep life going.
We talk about that in marriage vows.
until death do us part…
I said those words without the slightest clue what they meant, really.
It was easy to promise that I would never divorce this handsome young man. (“Sure! I’ll say that!” I agreed simplistically.)
But, I know now that the phrase is about so much more than “divorce or no divorce”.
It is about the very structure of our hearts. The everyday treatment of that smiling groom.
I joined my heart in oneness with him, making our marriage together the heart of my whole life.
Vowing that everything else will die before that.
“My marriage will be the very last thing to die… during the times in life when things must die.”
Vowing that I will crucify my time,
my pleasures, obligations, idols,
my addictions, communication quirks, and fears,
my past.
All to preserve my union with that one man.
It’s not doom and gloom. On the contrary, we make that vow with a pursuit of happiness, knowing in our depths that a covenant like this – one that remains when all else fails and fades away – is what makes life whole, blessed – a thing of wonder.
until death do us part…
Because I said it one day, every day asks about it.
“What dies first today?”
*****
I’d love for you to watch this clip just one time during this marriage series so you can know why I like to talk about marriage. I have every reason in the world to hope for your marriage and mine.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yiFsHI1U9d0
Comments
11 responses to “Until Death Do Us Part: Day 1”
Poignant!
Call me today when you have time! I’ll be cleaning!
Hey sweet girl! It was so wonderful to meet you at Relevant. I really enjoyed your post, and looking around your blog!!!
I will be following along. I am so glad I can meet with you in blogland!
love,
Darlene
hey again!
for some reason, my computer added my last name to my comment. Do you have a way to delete it?? Thanks girl!!!!!!!!
No problem, Darlene! Consider yourself edited! 🙂
Hey girl!!! I soooo enjoyed meeting you and hearing your heart! You are beautiful!!! I just watched most of your videos on youtube and SO enjoyed them! You are a joyful mommy! Just simply beautiful inside and out!
Much Love,
Courtney
Laura – I loved meeting you in person even for the brief moment we had on Saturday. I will be praying for you as you share His-tory in your marriage with others. Our marriage has been completely restored by GOD. It has been changed from the inside out and only now can I speak about marriage without hypocrsy. I have begun to write a series called Marriage=Intimacy. I will be following along on your journey as well. Praying for you and trusting God to do great things here – in and through your obedient heart!
Lots of love,
Jill
Sure wish I could have been at Relevant to meet you! I did see you on the live feed, though … and you had me in tears!
Such a beautiful post … and I very much look forward to reading more. I’m not sure what all I can add — we’re a young couple too, also been married 8yrs — but we have been through a lot, so maybe there will be something I can contribute. 🙂
Hey Laura, After we chatted about blogging, I had to check out your site. Looks great! We enjoyed spending time at your lovely farm yesterday; I hope that windmill is spinning fabulously in its new home!:)
Amanda! Hey! Always fun to meet up with a real-live-friend in cyberspace. 🙂 Thanks for the windmill-moving… It is happily spinning and spinning…
what a great question! what dies first today? i love the whole illustration actually. will pray for you as you do this series. know God will use you:) loved meeting you and visiting (despite my memory lapses). when i get home, will try to finish some of those sentences:)
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