Days 3 - 6

I haven't skipped days -- I promise! I've actually just posted my "positive statements" on myspace and haven't necessarily had time to transfer them onto blogger. Sorry.

For those of you who don't read my myspace blog, I wrote about my husband's loyalty, the wonderful way he interacts with children, the fact he spoils me just by being himself and his huge capacity for love. I think those are the four days I'm missing here on blogger. Of course, that's the short/sweet version of things!

I will say one more thing about him, though, here on blogger. Mark is NOT a quitter. For those of you who don't know, he's from a broken home. Oddly enough, both his parents, at one point or another, claimed to be Christians. And they both did some unspeakable things to cause their marriage to end. My parents are still together after 33 years, so I have no idea how much it hurts to watch your parents separate. However, I would imagine the pain is intensified when one minute you think your parents are Christ-followers (which I always thought added to a child's sense of security) and the next they're acting like they've taken leave of all their senses!

For Mark, I believe this is the case. His mother still claims to be a Christian and I have no doubt she loves God as best she knows how. His father still reads his Bible and, I believe, loves God, but he won't get over the hurt he feels towards people in the church. This doesn't mean he's a bad man -- I love and respect him more than I can say. He's just no hypocrite. He won't claim to be a Christian when he knows he's not living the lifestyle.

All this leaves Mark wondering how two people who know so much can still go so completely wrong. How can two people who love God and, according to their vows, each other, suddenly fall out of love and start wreaking havoc on everyone around them?

Furthermore, how is a young boy supposed to understand and fulfill the commandment to honor his parents when neither of them is living honorably? Especially when they cut each other down at every opportunity -- despite the fact it's 14 years and other marriages later.

Mark, however, is learning to deal with the confusion and has decided not to quit. He won't quit loving his parents despite their flaws. He won't stop looking for the good in both of them, despite the fact he's been bombarded with the bad. He won't stop respecting them as his parents and honoring them as such. And he won't give up hope that someday they will both be healed from their pasts and will love God with their whole hearts -- not just the portion that doesn't hold a grudge!

So today, I'm bragging about the fact Mark (and several of our friends) have chosen not to be quitters. He's determined to do the right thing despite having more than enough justification to do the wrong thing. He's decided to learn from others' mistakes so maybe he can get a little closer to what God created us to be -- His lovers -- and a little further from what men have turned ourselves into -- self-centered, selfish creatures who constantly demand MORE whether more is a good thing or not.

I'm proud of everyone who determines not to quit. It's like Bill said in Faithstyle this morning -- you can isolate yourself (which, to me, is about the same as dying) or insulate yourself. I believe those who choose to insulate are the ones who've decided not to quit. Hooah!