Intentional Marriage & Family -- part 2

Picking up from last week, the second strength of a healthy marriage is COMMITMENT.  Before Dave and I knew what the future would bring us, I said these vows to Dave at our wedding, “I, Tami, take you Dave, to be my wedded husband; to have and to hold from this day forward, for better, for worse, for richer, for poorer, in sickness and in health, to love and to cherish 'till death do us part.”  (Dave said the same vows to me.)  Little did I know that we would experience all of these things.  The only thing that kept us together at times, was our commitment to each other before God, believing that He could bring good out of any situation we faced.  He did.  And He still does.

In the same way, our commitment as parents to our children is the strength of our family.  Commitment shows we love them, come what may.  It shows we have their best interest at heart.  Just as we can always count on God and His commitment to us, we want our children to know that they can count on us to love them, no matter what. 

Through our love and commitment, we have the opportunity to teach our children that they are significant, and also that they can be secure in the community of our family.  Parent (verb) with the view that you’re raising some of the deepest relationships of your life.

Hebrews 13:5  “I will never leave you; I will never abandon you.”