Titus 2:3-5 (New American Standard Bible)
3 Older women likewise are to be reverent in their behavior, not malicious gossips nor enslaved to much wine, teaching what is good, 4 so that they may [b]encourage the young women to love their husbands, to love their children, 5 to be sensible, pure, workers at home, kind, being subject to their own husbands, so that the word of God will not be dishonored.
Someone at work approached me today and said that she just had to ask me "So how is married life?" Anyone who knows me well knows that my response was to start glowing and tell her that it is wonderful, and that I am living the "happily ever after" part of all the fairy tales ever told. And despite the trials of life that affect every one of us (my husband and myself included), I am telling the truth. I have been so abundantly blessed by the husband that God surprised me with, that I find myself eagerly awaiting opportunities to encourage others in their marriage relationships, and to share my heart with the young women in my life that true love is totally worth waiting for!
Several such opportunities have presented themselves this week. There are two young female students who just started a clinical rotation in my rehab department. We were chatting during lunch the other day about the men in our lives, and the conversations continued intermittently for the rest of the day, and I felt so privileged to be able to encourage them both. One of the girls is getting married this fall, and she told me that her parents were divorced, among other family members, which made her a bit nervous about her own marriage succeeding. Her fiance, on the other hand, had no divorce in his family, and she felt that he seemed less fearful in this area. I mentioned the book The Five Love Languages, and her face lit up and she told me that her fiance's professor had just recommended that book to them! I shared with her how much hope the book ministered to me that I could truly have a strong, loving relationship with my husband for a lifetime. She excitedly told the other student about the book, and they both said that they couldn't wait to read it.
Later that night, I shared an article on Facebook about 5 ways to nurture a marriage. A newlywed friend messaged me and said that at first he thought it was "more women's crap", but then he read the article and it spoke to him. We had a great chat about it and about his newfound awareness of areas where he needed to make some changes and I was able to encourage him as well. I can't speak for him or the students at work, but I felt so blessed and grateful for the hope that God has given me for my own marriage, and for the chance to share and hopefully instill that same hope in others.
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