TGIF RedStaters, and welcome to Friday’s Open Thread… 

Feel free to pull on one of the loose threads hanging here or share anything else that you think may be of interest to our RedState community.  The Open Thread is the one place you are encouraged to go off topic of the diary so have at it!

TGIF?

Yes, thank God it’s Friday.  Another week of mankind being mankind; us being us; and I’m thankful as always that there is more to life than what we see around us.  So much more!

Marriage

About time to circle back on this one, yes?  A week after Valentine’s, and all must be good in the marriage world, right?  Ran into a friend a few weeks ago.  I met him a few years ago and don’t know him real well, but the energy has always been good, and I like him.  He lets on that he’s had a difficult time lately, which is as close as a guy will come to asking for intervention.  We set up time, then got together for coffee.  He’s divorced.  Picking up the pieces as best as he can, trying to protect his kids, and chasing hard after Jesus.  I think I surprise him when I tell him, “but for God, go I”.  I’ve shared my story about God helping me heal my wounded marriage.  What If I hadn’t prayed that morning for help?  If you’re not a believer, you may think the prayer had no effect.  I on the other hand, have learned that my prayers are heard.  My Father loves me, and wants me to be happy and healthy.  Well, the other order actually, but both.  I told this friend what my wife and I had gone through, and how we planned our vow renewal as a public testimony of the good and the bad, hoping to encourage others who were in rocky areas in their own lives.  Because otherwise, we tend to assume that everyone else is doing fine, and our situation is uniquely defective.  Sadly, because of this, the vast majority of the time people won’t open their mouths about their marriage issues until they are a 5-alarm version of a dumpster fire.  And then what?

Later that same morning, I got an email from someone else.  Out of the blue.  This other couple has agreed to separate.  The best thing really.  Etc.  Been going on a long time.  I close a reply with, “what would you like to happen from here?”  But I think I know the answer.  This grieves me.

Do I just listen sympathetically?  Do I tell them what they want to hear?  Do I tell them what I think they need to hear?

It’s Better to Give than to Receive

What if – what if we started to actually act like we believed this?  What would our marriages look like?  Our families?  Our communities?  Our country?