A Time for Celebration

This week will mark NINE years of marriage to my loving husband, Jamie.

To celebrate, we had a lovely weekend visit to Morioka, Japan over this past weekend, complete with a trip to the zoo, a stroll through a beautifully landscaped castle ruins park, Mario Kart face offs at a giant arcade, enjoying (twice!) the best brunch I have had in Japan (@ Brunch Morioka), & lots of shopping.

It was a great trip made even greater by the company I shared with my best friend AKA my husband.

Not a Façade, But We’re Not Perfect

Many people have told me that me & my husband seem like newlyweds at times, laughing & teasing each other, being flirtatious, & just being good friends with one another.

But we’re not perfect. Neither one of us is.

We have our days in the grumps, we argue sometimes when we disagree, & we don’t always agree on everything.

But we have a secret weapon. We know the Truth… We know the Way-Maker.

Every Relationship… We Are All Imperfect

Satan would have married couples believe that one disagreement or fight (or maybe many) means your marriage is a sham… that “maybe you’re not meant for each other after all.”

But isn’t difficulty & challenge present with every close friendship? Even every family relationship (aka sister cat fight, haha)?

When one imperfect person marries another imperfect person, it is only logical that you will imperfectly relate to one another.

That doesn’t make your marriage broken… just human. And Satan likes to twist that to cause even more damage, sorrow, & anxiety.

Growing Up with a Sister

One of my sisters is just two years younger than me, so we grew up together. And there were days where we would “hate” each other so much that we would yell as much while running to our room, followed by a door slam that echoed throughout the house.

Of course, typically, my mom would FORCE us to hug it out & tell each other, “I’m sorry” & “I love you” (but made us repeat those words until we said it “like we mean it”).

It was the WORST. But I am super grateful for it now.

What I once had to say to her with a rolled eye & a squeaked out “I love you” (full of disdain), has ended up developing a bond in us that cannot be easily broken.

My mom always said to us, “She is your sister. She is your lifelong friend. Where other friends come & go, you will always have your sister. So, make it work!”

Such wise words & ones I have clung to throughout my life.

And the same goes for marriage.

We’re not perfect. But he is my lifelong friend. And where other friends may come & go from my life, I will always have him.

A Husband Can’t Replace God

Early on in our marriage, I put a lot more pressure on my husband than I should have. He was working long hours & came home ready to be a vegetable for a while, but I was lonely & put that weight on his shoulders.

This created a lot of strain on our friendship because he wanted to help but couldn’t & I felt unloved if he didn’t.

(I hesitate to say, “it put strain on our marriage” vs “on our friendship” because God says two become one flesh (Mark 10:8-9) when you commit yourself to marriage (just as my mom mentioned about sisters… my sister & I will always be sisters, even if we were to stop associating with one another), so we’re in it regardless… but that doesn’t mean it’s always easy.)

In other words, I was looking to the wrong one to fulfill me. My husband was never meant to be that missing piece. He is meant to be my partner in this life… my friend… the other half of a marriage meant to give God glory.

And through my tearful prayers, God revealed Himself as our Way-Maker.

God Is Our Way-Maker

When I felt alone & depression threatened to flood my heart, putting full weight of it on my husband’s already tired back, God encouraged the both of us to turn to HIM instead of pressuring or pushing away each other.

Instead of being pit against each other, debating against each other for our right solution or even growing numb & giving up on the solution altogether, God encouraged us to rejoin as ONE team, turning to GOD for the solution against the problem.

God reminded me that we do not wrestle against flesh & blood. That yes, we may have disagreements or misunderstandings, but that God can bring a solution… while Satan wants to twist & aggravate the situation until the relationship is “damaged beyond repair.”

God brought us back to the same side so we could fight the problem (vs each other) together under God’s direction, wisdom, & peace.

God was our glue… our bridge… our Way-Maker.

God Always Knows How

And through our prayers, tensions waned & our friendship grew.

God helped fulfill me & see the little ways that my husband expressed his “I love yous” & He helped me to be a better support to the stress my husband faced with his long hours.

And over the years, this has become our pattern: have a human moment of grumpiness or disagreement, maybe not handle it right at first, but remember & turn to God for wisdom, peace, & a solution.

This has helped us cultivate TEAM HYDE.

We are not impervious to Satan’s jabs & attacks. We fall for them sometimes.

But we know the way back.

We have to turn to God & stick together, unified against the threats of Satan’s attempts to attack our marriage & friendship.

Pray Over Close Relationships with Family & Friends–You Better Believe Satan Wants Them OVER

And the same goes for other family members or even friends.

Anything that has potential to give God glory is for sure a target Satan will attack.

Remember that fact when faced with disagreements & arguments… especially for those relationships that encourage you to look to God as your hope & source of solution. Those who edify & encourage you… or those for whom you edify & encourage.

Turn to God. Ask Him to help you cut through any lies or misunderstandings.

Ask God

Ask Him to put a hedge of protection around your close friendships.

Ask Him to keep you alert to Satan’s tricks, schemes, & lies when it comes to those close relationships.

Ask Him for His wisdom, peace, & help.

And always turn to God in all things big or small….

Because GOD is our WAY-MAKER.

Shine Hope by always turning to Him as the Bridge back together, the Glue to keep you together, & the Way-Maker when things seem impossible.

Because God is in the business of doing the impossible EVERY DAY.

Coming Next Week

Join me every Monday morning, EST, for more encouragement.

As God grows me, may it encourage you to seek Him & know Him & love Him more every day.

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A Note from Michelle:

This blog/website has been running for almost THREE years now! THANK YOU for your continued support & encouragement. <3

If you would like to learn more of my story, check out the “About Me” page. And if you would like to hear how I found my lasting source of HOPE, read the “Hope Is Found” page, on this site. I hope they are an encouragement to you! <3

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Fashion as a Force for GOOD:

Each week, I feature an item that is changing lives for women around the world. These hand-crafted pieces are offering job creation opportunities for women artisans in impoverished nations all around the world! Check out this week’s featured beauty!!

Andean Earrings (Peru)

Handcrafted by our newest Artisan partners in Peru, these unique statement earrings are showstoppers with 24k gold-plated oval studs & framed teardrop chrysocolla stones. Designed to pair with our Andean Ring, hammered metal & natural variations of swirling green chrysocolla add “Old World” charm to these ethically made earrings.

Every purchase provides safe jobs with fair wages in areas of extreme poverty in Peru.

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