Partnership is hard. It is work, sacrifice, and trust. It is believing that the person opposite you in life and love will protect your vulnerability. It is easy to mistake self-loathing for humility and work ethic for service. But those are human projections of Divine characteristics. God woke me up to a sunrise in Ireland a few days before my husband asked me to marry him. And He used that orange morning to teach me what servanthood would look like in the context of my marriage. It helped me say yes back then; and it helps me say yes still. Servanthood is not the “dutiful wife” picture that society likes to paint. It is giving yourself away and believing that God and your partner will honor that gift. Humility isn’t putting yourself down; it is lifting your partner up with everything you’ve got. It is watering the confidence of your companion and being proud of how it blooms. It is taking a day to consider your reactions instead of hurting the person you love. It is waiting patiently in the seasons that hurt and putting yourself in the line of fire to shield your marriage from the blast. It is keeping the coals warm through the cold nights so that you can build the fire up again in the morning. Love is a lifestyle, not a feeling. Sacrifice hurts, but it also heals. Partnership is hard, but it’s worth it. So give it all you’ve got!!
