On Monday, I posted as a Facebook status the following which I paraphrased from MarriageToday.com
Among the most important components to a successful marriage is the spiritual one. A husband and wife who grow closer to God also grow closer to each other.
Never did I entertain that it would be possible for my husband and I, two sinners who share volatile tempers and a propensity for “below the belt” comments, to experience an authentic growth with God ~ together.
First, there was me. It was 1991 and I felt a void in my life from having been exposed to church very little as I was growing up. We had a church, literally, in our own back yard and still our family was unseen in the pews. A couple of times, my dad attended a service to satisfy me and my mom may have as well, but there was no continuity and no support and I stopped going on my own…until I had children and felt that nagging again.
It was in 1992 that I went through the RCIA process (Rite of Christian Initiation for Adults) and was baptized at the Easter Vigil in front of my in-laws and children since W was deployed at the time. It’s a surreal experience ~ studying the bible and your new found religion ~ when your spouse is gone for 6 months. He came back to a very different girl and, ultimately, my journey and longing did not rub off on him and only slightly influenced my children. Again, I floundered over time and drifted away completely for a number of years.
I recount this because as much as I wanted unity for my family where our faith was concerned, it seemed to be an uphill battle that I didn’t fight ~ I was battle weary before it even began.
There is still work to be done and growth to be had…none of us will ever reach that day, here on earth, when we have “arrived” to complete understanding. But my journey is so supported now ~ by my friends, my co-workers and my husband. He and I are now intertwined on this quest to grow spiritually…and it is good. It is very good.
