Marriage ~ Made easier through faith by Mary Ellis

You’ve been married HOW long? That’s a question I often hear when thrown into a new group of women. My answer usually brings a knowing nod from married ladies my own age, along with a wide-eyed look of awe among young wives and never-married women. Often their next question is “where did you two meet?” When they hear that we met in college, I’m often asked: “Did you live together first? Were you engaged a long time? Did you two know each other well before walking down the aisle? When they hear: No, No, and No, their usual response is, “You two are very lucky.”

My husband and I married six days after graduation; we did not live together, and we didn’t know each that well because we both worked during college. Yet luck had nothing to with our marriage lasting forty-nine years. It has been by the Grace of God. Marriage is hard work, and it’s not easy at any age. Young couples often struggle financially after buying their first house and starting a family. Middle-aged couples often juggle careers along with the demands of teenagers and aging parents. And long-married folks could struggle with the hardship of poor health or the temptation to stray from their vows. But Christian couples have a silent partner in marriage—God. He has already heard every sorrow and every painful disappointment many times before, but He always intercedes on behalf of His children. When we send up our problems in prayer, we find the necessary strength and courage. No, I didn’t read that in a book...I’m speaking from experience. In the past, I sometimes turned to the Lord as a last resort, after struggling unsuccessfully to fix things on my own. It’s hard for me to give up control of my life. But only when we surrender control do we find the solutions we seek. Experience has been a good teacher. And after forty-nine years, my husband and I have plenty of experience.

Marriage is not for the faint-of-heart. But God lightens our load when we include Him in each decision we make. I trusted God to bring me a suitable spouse, which He did. And although our married life hasn’t always been a bowl-of-cherries, God has never left our side and He never will.

Mary Ellis is a former schoolteacher turned USA Today bestselling author who’s written twenty-six novels including Amish fiction, historical romance, and suspense. Her first mystery, Midnight on the Mississippi, was a finalist for the RT Magazine’s Reviewer’s Choice Award and a finalist for the Daphne du Maurier Award. Her latest series is the Bourbon Tour Mysteries from Severn House. Book two, One Hundred Proof Murder released August 3, 2021. Her latest Amish novella is Missing available on Amazon Kindle. She enjoys gardening and bicycling and lives in Ohio with her husband and dog. www.maryellis.net or www.facebook.com/Mary.Ellis.Author