No One Can Stand Between Us

We all five filed in the pew.  Sundays in the summer mean sporadic church attendance because of all the travel.  I couldn’t remember the last time all five of us made it on the same morning.

We attend a contemporary service, often to my hubby’s chagrin since he’s less enthusiastic about electric guitars in church.  I, on the other hand, love the music.

As we stood singing, I grabbed the hand of the man I fell in love with over 13 years ago.  The lyrics to one song sank deep into my bones:

God with us,
God for us,
Nothing can come against,
No one can stand between us.

I’m sure the songwriter had the collective “us” in mind when he wrote the song.  I couldn’t help but take an entirely different meaning away.

If you’ve been married for longer than two months, you’ve probably had a bad day in your marriage.  If you’ve been married longer than two years, you’ve probably had a bad month or two.

As I squeezed my husband’s fingers, I sang those words like a battle cry:  Nothing can come against, no one can stand between us.  I planned to claim another victory on the field of the enemies who attack our marriages.

We’ve had good days and bad days and good months and bad months.  Our start to the summer was no piece of cake.  There’s so many moving parts with his stuff and my stuff and the kids stuff and it gets messier in the summer.  (I know some people LOVE summer. As a schedule person, I crave the routine of the school year with kids.)

But it’s been a good month.  I felt like we stepped off another battlefield having reclaimed our ground. The song this morning reminded me how you come back stronger.  How you battle through the hard and the roots grow down deeper.  The Bible reminds us of this:  And the God of all grace… after you have suffered a little while, will himself restore you and make you strong, firm and steadfast. (1 Peter 5:10)

I do not understand the why and the when of the hard patches – in marriage, in family, in health, in work, in whatever the obstacle.  But I pray I never cease being thankful for (or recognizing) the growth on the other side.  The healing.  The strength.

Tonight, the eldest commented I had too much romance in my life.  When I asked why, he said because you’re always kissing people.  Who am I always kissing, I inquired.  Daddy, he replied.

It’s not just about the kissing, but I’m grateful for that part of it too.