Like A Rock

"A man built his house upon the rock.  The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house; yet it did not fall, because it had its foundation on the rock." [Matthew 7: 21-28].

This was one of the Scriptures that I chose for the readings at my wedding. After an uncertain childhood, I surely wanted my marriage to be built upon a rock.

I did not want my marriage to be like the other, foolish man in this Scripture, who built his house on sand.   "The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against the house and it fell with a great crash."

The house, to me, was my marriage. I knew that storms would come, the rain would come down, the winds would blow against us and beat against "our house". But I wanted our house, our marriage, to withstand whatever came.

Bad things did happen to us. Job loss, recessions, worries over money, misunderstandings with siblings, the losses of beloved pets, difficulties becoming parents, terminal illnesses of our parents and their subsequent deaths, the loss of my best friend at much too young an age.

But our "house" still stands. It is not that we never argue, or grieve, or sulk, or sink into a funk, or doubt, or stalk away refusing to talk.

Yet, no matter what misfortune hits us, the love and respect that we have for each other comes first. That "thing" called marriage is what we honor and keep returning to.

I believe it is like that with God. And with His Son, Jesus.

No matter what misfortune comes into my life, no matter how angry I may get with God, no matter how much I despair of ever being anywhere nearly like Jesus, no matter how many times I try and try to love and forgive, and fall down and have to try again, I cling to God and His teachings.

As my marriage is my shelter against the storm, a place of deep love and commitment; so is my relationship with God.

God, be my rock, be my shelter against the storm, as I love You and try to follow your ways.

(c) The Spiritual Devotional 2011. All Rights Reserved.