Better than a Hallmark Movie

I’d love to go to Biltmore to see the Christmas decorations next weekend, but my husband is planning on duck hunting. I’m kind of upset about that.

He’s downstairs watching a football game in the room full of deer heads that don’t go with the rest of the house decor, at all.

I’m upstairs looking for a Hallmark movie to watch by the Christmas tree, he thought I put up too early.

And, well, it’s not really been a day that I felt “in love”.

And according to Oprah and Adele, it’s not enough to love someone; I should feel “in love” every day. We deserve that, they say.

And if that “in love feeling” doesn’t always “feel” like we think it should, we should all “feel” free to leave our marriages. Right?

Wrong.
Way Wrong.

The truth is, “The missing thing in marriage is not found in that other person you are married to, or another person outside of your marriage, it is found in Jesus.” (JD Greear)

Christian, on those days we don’t feel “in love”, we stay in for Jesus. We promised Him. We look to Him. He’s the only One to perfectly satisfy us.

And the truth is, if we leave our marriage because of how we feel, or don’t feel, or anything other than a scriptural reason; we have more to worry about than momentarily “falling out of love” with our spouse, we are in danger of falling out of obedience to God.

As I sit here looking at my Christmas tree (that may or may not have been put up too early) , I remember the Savior I’m celebrating who came into this world to die so that I might live. He said “If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow me.” (Matt 16:24)

And perhaps, “The very reason the world discourages marriage is the same reason marriage is (truly) such a blessing from God: it forces you to constantly die to self and look after the good of another.” (Sheatz)

Ouch. Ouch. Ouch.

Here I am. In my own home. Having to live what I profess to believe!

And you know what? As much as I like the decorations in those Hallmark movies, this is no Hallmark marriage.

It’s better.

it’s better, because we don’t have to feel in love everyday in order to know we will stick it out every day.

Marriage is hard. But it’s also good, because, perhaps better than just about anything else, marriage helps us see the sin (in us)that still needs to die.

And there’s plenty to still die in me.

But there’s also kissing.

And unlike those Hallmark movies, there’s more than just one kiss at the end. There’s years and years of good kissing!

I think I’ll go find my man… so we can make up! (Except before I finished typing this sentence he, being more spiritually mature than me, was already upstairs looking for me).

Please note- I wrote this a year ago. I’m no longer a fan of the Hallmark movie channel because of choices they’ve made. I did get to see the Biltmore Christmas decorations with my sweet family weekend before last, it was beautiful! ❤️ I’ll put a couple pics below

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