An Iron Year

This weekend, Jason and I celebrated our sixth anniversary.

Over the last year, I have become more aware of how God has used marriage to shape me.  It is like a spiritual discipline—slowly shaping me into more of who God wants me to be.  It is practiced one interaction, one choice, and one word at a time. 

In his book, Sacred Marriage, Gary Thomas writes, “The real transforming work of marriage is the twenty-four-hours-a-day, seven-days-a-week commitment.  This is the crucible that grinds and shapes us into the character of Jesus Christ.  Marriage calls us to an entirely new and selfless life.  […] Any situation that calls me to confront my selfishness has enormous spiritual value, and I slowly began to understand that the real purpose of my marriage may not be happiness as much as it is holiness.”

It is really fitting that I have been more aware of this shaping this year.  It is the iron year.

Proverbs 27:17 says, “As iron sharpens iron, so one person sharpens another.” 

This is the way of marriage.  It shapes and it transforms.

I am so thankful that it does.

I handle conflict differently now.  I have good and authentic friendships now.  I choose to tackle the things that I am afraid of now.  I am writing this blog now.  These are all fruits of Jason gently encouraging me, speaking the truth in love to me, holding me accountable, and making me do the things I tried to avoid. 

I am thankful for the way God uses our relationship to shape me.  I tell Jason this, over dinner. 

I am delighted when he tells me our marriage is shaping him too.  I see it.

I marvel that all this has happened in six years of trusting God together.  They seem like short years.  I wonder.  What might possibly happen when we submit ourselves out of reverence for Christ for the whole of our marriage?

I think we just may be wrought into something beautiful by the hand of God.

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Grace and peace be ours in abundance as we submit to one another out of reverence for Christ.  May we discover that as our love for Christ is central to our love for one another God shapes us, transforms us and makes us holy.

Jessica :)