parallels

I have only been married just short of 6 months now, but I am amazed at how much God has taught me in such a short period of time. He has revealed sinful behaviors to me that I have either buried or just never noticed, and He has also revealed something else I'd only ever heard of and had never had the joy of experiencing before.

When Aron and I were engaged and going through premarital counseling as well as reading countless books on marriage, there was one theme we kept hearing about over and over again - that the marriage relationship between a man and a woman is a direct parallel to our relationship with God.

Our marriage has been both difficult at times and absolutely fulfilling and incredible, even euphoric sometimes. We have been learning how to treat each other, how to love each other, please each other and encourage each other to grow. We have also been learning how to apologize when we are wrong and forgive when we have been wronged.

There have been days that I've been a horrible excuse for a wife and even some days that anyone observing or speaking to me would question whether or not I'm really saved. I have been so disgusted and ashamed of my sinful actions, attitudes and words that sometimes it's hard to even believe it really is me that I'm looking at in the mirror. I have been just plain hateful and ugly, and Aron STILL manages to forgive me. He has forgiven me for things that I myself don't know if I could forgive him for if the roles were reversed.

I am in awe at Aron's ability to forgive and forget the sins I've committed against him and not to bring them up to me in the future. He truly does forgive me completely. I manage to fail him over and over and over again, and he manages to pardon me every time, no matter how badly I've hurt him. How much more does our Heavenly Father forgive and forget? It's amazing! I see how offensive I can be to another human being whom I love so deeply, and now I am even more aware of how I have been doing even worse to my Savior for the last 26 years. And He too forgives me. I am blessed beyond measure.

Recently, at one of our church's mid-week small group meetings a woman had been sharing her struggles and she said something that was so simple yet so profound it has stuck with me for weeks now. She said, "No one can love me like Jesus." How true this is, and how grateful I am.

"No one can love me like Jesus."