stomach bugs and wedding vows...

"Make thankfulness your sacrifice to God, and keep the vows you made to the Most High."

- Psalm 50:14

 

All winter long I have bragged about the fact that I haven't been sick. No sniffles, no coughing, not the slightest bit of ailment...until Tuesday night. 2013 was a sickly year for me, and it seemed like I was coming down with something every other month. I finally got back on the healthy track and made it through 2014 with ease. While everyone else was getting the flu, strep, and the stomach bug, I was doing just fine. But Monday night, Aaron felt bad and by Tuesday, it was my turn.

I came home from work, ate supper, and a few hours later I knew something was wrong. I hoped it wasn't much. Maybe a slight disagreement between my stomach and supper. It soon became clear that it was going to be a long night, and a long night it was. I'll spare you the details but it wasn't pretty. I was sick like I haven't been sick in a long time. And after a few hours of moaning and groaning, I wondered how I got from feeling normal to this unfortunate state in such a short amount of time. By 4:00AM I had forgotten what it felt like to feel normal and I hoped it stopped soon. It's amazing how quickly one can feel bad and how easy it is to forget what good feels like. But two days in bed has made a difference, and I am grateful that it's over.

The good thing about being married is that you have someone to take care of you when you feel bad. The bad thing about being married is that you have to take care of someone when they're feeling bad. Now when it's the easy stuff like a cold or sinus infection, it's not a big deal. But it's a different story when it's the gross stuff. And as bad as I felt, I felt even worse keeping Aaron up all night. I also hated for him to see me in such a disgusting state, making all sorts of noises no one should ever have to hear. But he never complained. He kept checking on me, bringing me any and every medicine he could find in the cabinet, and making sure I had what I needed to get me through. Not because he necessarily wanted to. Not because it was fun and exciting. Not because he had nothing else better do to or was going to be getting anything from his service. But because he promised he would... in sickness and in health.

That's marriage for you, friends. Sometimes it's gross and difficult and not the least bit fun. Sometimes you do things not because you get something in return, but because you promised you would. You uphold your word, even if you don't necessarily feel like it, because you said you would. And every day, in sickness or in health, for better or for worse, you choose. You choose because you chose to say those words. No one made you. You stood before God and many witnesses and declared those holy, binding vows to one another. Vows that were not said simply to be broken when you just felt like you didn't want to do it anymore. Vows that weren't said simply to get you what you wanted at the time but now you've changed your mind. Oh no, those holy words of matrimony are the very words that carry you through the tough stages when you simply want to throw your hands up and give in. Because while love is a beautiful thing, commitment keeps you together. And remembering that, remembering that God calls us to higher standards of service, of vow keeping, and of honoring one another, is the reason you do it. You do it because you love them, but you also do it because you love God. And when you honor them, you honor God. When you serve them, you serve God. When you do for them the things they can't do for themselves, you reflect God. And when you choose to love them through it all, you bring glory to God.