Too Far To Turn Back

Occasionally, as I (Josh) leave for work in the morning, I forget my sunglasses.  You may not think that is a very big deal but when I am outside all day, and have been accustomed to having darkened lenses over my eyes for over a decade, forgetting my sunglasses is a HUGE deal.  Sometimes I will turn around and go back for them if I am only a mile or two away.  I'll risk being late!!  But, if I get too far from home and then realize I have forgotten them, I have to weigh the benefits of having them versus being really late for work.  When that happens I will endure the hardship (however hard that may be) of working without them.  The cost to my wallet will cry out louder than the temporary pain to my eyes.  At some point it is easier to keep going and endure the loss of my glasses than to go home and start over.

Many of us that may have considered (or may still be considering) divorce should take some time and consider this lesson.  Do you really want to start over?  Yea, your situation may be tough but do you really want to go back to the beginning with someone new and start over?  We don't often think in these terms but it might just do us some good.

You spent time looking for this person that you eventually called your spouse.  You spent time investing in your relationship.  You spent money treating them to some nice events and dates.  You spent your heart by giving it to them.  Guys, you spent time impressing your future wives.  Ladies, you spent time in front of a mirror that you will never get back.  Guys, you spent time waiting on those women while they looked in the mirror.  Ladies, you spent time causing these love-struck guys to chase and pursue you.  And now, we all want to throw it away?  Not only is it not the response that God would have us choose, it is foolish in terms of investing.

The time, energy, and money that you spent wooing and winning that future spouse will NEVER be returned to you UNLESS you receive and enjoy the profits from your investment.  You could not go to your stock broker and ask for all your money back PLUS the acquisitions that could have been purchased with said funds.  They would think that you lost your mind.  You took a risk and it didn't pay off....cut your losses and move on, right?  Or you could hold on to that stock and wait until it turned around, enduring the potential loss, and wind up with a HUGE windfall.

Occasionally, you hear about stories of people that have held on to a stock certificate that was passed down from fathers or grandfathers.  Nearly worthless when it was printed is now worth a fortune because it was kept when everyone else sold out.  Do you want a marriage that is sold out when it gets tough or one that is saved and kept safe despite the ups and downs of life?

Our marriages are the greatest investment (apart from our own relationship with Christ) that we can make.  What you have spent getting to where you are can either be flushed down the toilet or saved until it turns around and you suddenly hold the majority stake in your marriage.  If you choose the path of divorce, even early on in your marriage, you are throwing good time, energy, and money away.  You could have just saved the heartache of it all and just thrown those things away years ago and circumvented all of this.  If you choose the path of saving and hiding your marriage for safety sake, despite the twists and turns of life, you will be a wise investor and future bazillionaire....maritally speaking.

At some point you need to suck it up and decide that you have come too far to turn back now.  It will take more out of you to start over than it will to make your marriage work.

Josh and Serena