We have a great blog for you today about marriage. Once the wedding bells fade, real life takes over and intimacy is no longer a priority, then what? We hope you enjoy today’s post from Linda Dillow, one of our favorite guest bloggers from the past. Single ladies, you can glean from it, too! Enjoy.
| Original Post Date: June 5, 2014 |
Some of the most impactful books I have ever read have been authored by Ms. Linda Dillow. This woman spills her entire heart onto a page when she writes. The Spirit of the living God flows through her pen to the paper and soaks it with a holy message that makes you feel the presence of God.
Nothing to be surprised about actually.
Because when you meet her, God’s presence is . . . well . . . present. To sit with her is to sit with a woman who has lived deeply and fully and has experienced a depth of relationship with Jesus that few dare to strive for. To listen to her is to fill your own cup with a bounty of goodness that will overflow. And to worship with her . . . Oh my . . . to worship with her is like being escorted into the presence of Jesus by a close personal friend of His who knows just how to point the way.
Cause. . . she knows Him.
Intimately.
Linda is the best selling author of Calm My Anxious Heart, Intimate Issues, Creative Counterpart, and her latest, What’s It Like to be Married to Me?, among many other books. In each she shares practical teaching and ministry that will literally change your life in a very personal way.
Linda and her husband, Jody, served as missionaries for 17 years living in Europe and Asia and training Christian leaders. They have been married for 49 years, have 4 children and 10 grandchildren.
Did you hear that? Married 49 years.
This woman has a wealth of wisdom worth tuning your ear to. Lean in and take in all that she shares, ok? Not only here today but in all of her wonderful books.
She’s an amazing woman who has made a tremendous difference in my life. Love you Linda.
Bless you today,
Priscilla
People marry for different reasons, but one man definitely takes the prize for the most unique reason. How I laughed when I read the following advertisement in the want ads of a New York newspaper:
Farmer with 160 irrigated acres wants marriage-minded woman with tractor. When replying, please show picture of tractor.
I certainly didn’t marry to gain a piece of farm equipment—or equipment of any kind! I married Jody Dillow fifty years ago because I wanted to be his lover and best friend, forever. One of the most beautiful verses of Scripture shows us the heart of a young bride as she describes her feelings for her husband. She has set forth the physical attributes of her beloved and ends with this statement:
His mouth is full of sweetness.
And he is wholly desirable.
This is my beloved and this is my friend. (Song 5:16)
I hope this verse is your everyday reality with your husband.
For many, though, the dream fades, and real life takes over. Children, jobs, house payments, and an economic downswing cause your lover/best-friend intimacy with your husband to slide down in your priorities. One day you wake up and say, “Where did the intimacy go? And how do I get it back?”
You know that 50 percent of marriages end in divorce. Of the 50 percent of couples who stay married, many are angry and resentful. Others are simply resigned. They’re living by default, not design. They’re hanging on in marriage because it is the right thing to do. They’ve given up and settled for ho hum, status quo. It shouldn’t be this way.
Marriage is hard work and I’m committed to working hard on my lover/best friend intimacy with Jody. I refuse to settle for mediocrity. I refuse to live out scripts handed to me by the media, by mothers, by anyone other than God. He is the Creator of marriage, and He has a design for you and for me. I’m filled with hope that you can be different, that your marriage can be different.
Will you choose today to live out your marriage, not by default, but by design?
Will you begin by praying, “God, Please show me how to live my marriage by design and build a lover/best friend intimacy with my husband?”
Linda
