Why am I married? A strange question for a man that has been unmarried for less than 12 months in the last 36 years. The real question was slightly different: “What purpose does God have for my marriage?”.

My wife is a saint who has no idea of how valuable she is to me and to the Lord. Yet living with her can be a source of frustration and limitation. There are so many things that I could be doing if not married to her and so many difficult things that I would not have to do if I were single. But today I realized this, that God is using her to knock off the rough edges in my personality and to make me look more like His Son.

Robin is so tender-hearted that it is easy to hurt her feelings. I have learned how to share my feelings, even strong feelings, in a way to not overwhelm her. I have learned to take disappointing news and disagreeable jobs with equanimity and grace — not always but often enough for her to feel supported and valued. God is using her to perfect me, even when she is totally unaware of the process. Thanks be to God for my wife and my marriage.

God bless,
Gary