Starting Out Wrong

At a recent prayer vigil, I watched as one of the attendees tried to park his car. This is an older gentleman, and he was struggling. His problem, I noticed immediately, was that he started in nose first, instead of backing in using the "S" pattern my dad insisted on when he was teaching me to drive. After much backing and forthing, and not a little coaching from a helpful cohort, he made his way in, but the end result was skewed and a good foot and a half from the curb.

All this maneuvering reminded me of mistakes I've made in the past, ones I don't want to repeat. The biggest example that comes to mind, and certainly the one with the greatest ramifications, was marrying without consulting God. How clearly I remember our first date, where the subject of faith came up. I was a young college student at the time, and wandering from God. I had rashly declared to the Lord in high school that His way was not working for me, and that I would steer the ship henceforth, thank You very much. Consequently, when Mike professed his Christianity to me in the car that day, I expressed my wayward mindset.

Here was Mike's opportunity to be obedient to 2 Corinthians 6:14, but he stumbled. He let attraction, rather than heavenly wisdom, be his guide. By the time I came to my senses and got on the same page with God, I failed to heed the cautions of family members, who raised alarm sirens that I blocked out with wedding bells. The results were disastrous for both of us.

Like my friend from the prayer vigil, I could have saved myself and many others grief of Hindenburg proportions by simply starting out right. God gives clear instructions about marriage in His word, and even if I had never read a word of them, I certainly could have put the brakes on while I prayed through this monumental decision.

If it sounds like I'm kicking myself, I don't indulge in that morbid luxury too much anymore. For one thing, Romans 8:28 has proven itself too true in my life; although I wish I could boast a long and victorious marriage, God is shaping me into the woman He intends me to be, despite my wrong choices. Also, as a result of our flawed union (isn't every union flawed in the final analysis?), I am blessed with two sons whom I love very much. How wonderful to serve a God who can turn wrong turns into blessed destinations.


Check out Steven Curtis Chapman's Run Away