Wooing in the Wilderness

Another milestone this year was that Bob and I celebrated our 20th wedding anniversary. Twenty years! Who would have thought…

No seriously. Who would have actually thought?? We were married after 7 weeks (yes, we eloped). We literally thought we’d never fight. Two weeks after we said “I do” we had such a massive argument that I thought to myself Oh no… what did I just do? 

We went into ten years of literal hell, and we were on the brink of divorce. We constantly triggered each other. We didn’t have the tools to name or address any of what we were experiencing. We were hopeless and grieving the loss of what we thought God had put together.

But then God…

He intervened by placing the right people in our life at just the right time. Even though we were Christian by name, they taught us what it was like to live surrendered. 

My own redeemed and restored marriage causes me to contemplate God’s relentless pursuing of Israel, persuading her and leading her to the wilderness. It wasn’t that God led Israel to the wilderness to leave her abandoned or punished. God led Israel there to “speak tenderly to her.” He removed Israel from all that was distracting them and pulling her away from His love to remind her of His unfailing love for them.

Dear God, thank you for your redemption. Thank you for pursuing me, for tenderly wooing me into your arms. Continue to bring me to the places of wilderness so that my dependance may remain only on you. In Jesus’ name, Amen.