Messy Beautiful Love Read Online Free PDF Page B

refinish the wood. I had taken on small projects before, but nothing of this magnitude. I figured it couldn’t possibly look any worse. I got to work, stripping and sanding layer after layer until I discovered its worth hidden beneath years of neglect. To my surprise, it was nothing less than a vintage, burled-walnut piano. With each stroke of my hand, it returned to the beautiful piece it once was.
    God could have sent us a brand-spanking-new keyboard with all the bells and whistles, but rather than send us easy, He gave us a treasure complete with life lessons that taught us the value of hard work. Looking back on it now, I can say, “I get it, Lord. I understand the parable of the piano You gave us and how it relates to our marriage.” Neglecting to care for each other more than we cared for ourselves, wanting to take more from our marriage than we were ready to give, and failing to lean on God’s wisdom more than our own were the layers of filth and stain that built up over time. One by one, each piled up on the other, concealing the beauty and depth of our covenant. It was unrecognizable, not to mention the fact that we were out of tune with each other. That is until that day when love found me in the darkness and carried me back to the light. I realized what a mess I had made of things and the role thatsin had played in my life. Until then my primary concern was pleasing myself and getting what I wanted from this marriage. The more I focused inward, the less I focused on the Lord.
    The minute we allow ourselves to be drawn away by our lust, whether it’s a baby step or a giant step toward sin, we expose ourselves to Satan, who is ready and willing to deceive us into believing that we can and should step farther yet. I was standing in a pit of sin and shame, but Michael loved me enough to show me that marriage God’s way is worth fighting for. That’s the day I woke up and got to work restoring our marriage and redeeming the love we once had.
    We both needed to be rescued that day. We had failed each other, but more important we had failed the One we loved the most—our Savior. If we wanted this marriage to flourish, first and foremost we needed a Christ-centered relationship. We needed to reflect His love to each other.
    Once we started loving and respecting each other from a place of humility, we began to see the beauty of new life emerge. With each step of forgiveness, understanding, communication, and grace, it’s being restored to the beautiful love it once was.
    If we could take back the past, we would. Knowing what we know now, we’d do so many things differently than we did. We’d handle each other with care. We’d give more than we get. We’d listen more than we speak.
    Being patient and kind through hard times isn’t the easiest thing to do. Love can be confusing and gut-wrenching. Therewill be seasons of our lives that are so awesome we wonder how life can be so incredibly good, and there will be other seasons that bring us to our knees in prayer. Those are the ones when we need each other the most.
    Here’s a letter I received from a reader who was feeling the sting of a new season. This one was leaving her feeling rejected and tense. We all go through difficult times, but the important thing to remember is that the way we choose to handle disappointment sets the stage for our future.
    Dear Darlene,
    I’m not sure what to do. I understand that I need to respect and submit to my husband but lately it’s been difficult to do so.
    He recently changed jobs and ever since the transition he’s been out of sorts. Normally he’s in a good mood when he comes home, but not so much lately. He’s been grumpy and tense. And yes, I’ve tried to talk to him about it, but we always seem to end up arguing and we’re right back to square one.
    I know he realizes it, too, because he apologizes often, but then he’ll come home from work and be just as grumpy as he was the night before. He’s a Christian,