Many lose their feeling of first love in marriage, but God can carry couples through those times. #theloriclineshow Interested in learning more about becoming a devoted follower of Christ? Go to follow.lifeword.org!   ~~~   Did you have a special song sung at your wedding? I had a really special song at my wedding. It was one my husband wrote and we actually sang it to each other after lighting our unity candle. It was called “Lifetime Love”. The chorus went like this, ‘no matter what we go through, I’ll still be in love with you. Through every tear that falls, we’ll climb every mountain tall. And love’s more than something we just know, but everyday work for, in a lifetime love.’ It was pretty special. And it was true! Love is more than just something you know or feel. When it comes to marriage, love is something you choose and work for everyday. You lean in when it’s tough and you honor your promise to love and cherish till death do you part. You do the work it takes to be in it to win it. If you’re married, are you in it to win it or have you lost that loving feeling? Sadly for many, love and marriage have become more of a commodity to use up and throw away when you’re done. Commitment is at an all time low and marriage, the very first institution established by God, is under attack. When marriages, faith and families unravel, everything else isn’t far behind. Before I got married, if you would have asked me if I thought love could really last a lifetime, I may not have given a truthful answer. The easy and optimistic answer would have been, sure I do! But going into marriage I knew it wasn’t easy and while I hoped it would last, I also knew it didn’t seem to be a guarantee. Life is hard. Even for the believer in Christ, marriage is hard. We are broken people living in a broken world and only by God’s grace are we redeemed. I’m so thankful for the love and grace of God in my own life and in my marriage. That’s been my focus this month. I was a June bride thirty years ago and I’ve been sharing the truth God has used to strengthen us along the way. Here’s a little recap if you missed any! It all begins with love. God is love and my love story fits into His greater story. I can love because He first loved me. That love displayed through marriage is a beautiful mystery gift that is SO much more than an ‘I do’. It’s a holy union, established by a holy God to be a reflection of His deep and intimate love for us here and now and for eternity to come. We daily surrender to the Lord and one another, so when temptations come, we can walk in step with the Spirit and stay faithful. When it comes to disagreements or hurts we choose to speak the truth and not hold onto anger. We delight in our love and marriage. We intentionally celebrate it and shine it to the world as a display of the gospel. We recognize we need Godly community in our lives and people to walk life with to strengthen us, comfort us and encourage us along the journey. We trust God’s timing and plan and know every valley, detour and delay will be worked for our good and in His time will be made beautiful. While we are far from the garden, Jesus spoke these words to the Pharisees emphasizing God’s original intention and plan. Mark 10:6-9 “But at the beginning of creation God ‘made them male and female.’ ‘For this reason a man will leave his father and mother and be united to his wife, and the two will become one flesh.’ So they are no longer two, but one flesh. Therefore what God has joined together, let no one separate.” The oneness of marriage is a sacred trust and gift. I am so very thankful for it in my life with the gift of my husband. With God at the center and by his grace and strength alone, I do believe in a lifetime love. And as my heart draws closer to the Father, my heart draws closer to my husband. It’s a beautiful design. That’s the truth. Thanks for joining me this month as I’ve shared my heart for God and my heart for my husband. I champion marriage. I delight in what God joined together thirty years ago. I pray it shines the gospel of Jesus to the world, proclaiming the promise, I am yours and you are mine. If you missed any of this month's broadcasts walking through what I’ve learned through a love story, you can find them all and so much more to strengthen your faith journey at lifeword.org. I’m Lori Cline.