I have been watching a lot of documentaries, on everything from obesity and nutrition, to divorce. Some of them are difficult to watch, like the latter mentioned. CNBC’s “Divorce Wars” has left me repulsed at the state of humanity. One interview was of a woman who, after filing for divorce, suspected that her husband, a multimillionaire, was hiding money. For the next 18 years of her life, she hid away in a room and gave all she had to her own investigation of her ex-husband. After these 18 years, she “won”, and settled for 15 million dollars. I am sorry, lady, but you have not “won”. Fifteen million dollars is not worth the loss of 18 years of your life. And it is definitely not worth the destruction of your marriage.

“Remember that at that time you were separate from Christ, excluded from citizenship in Israel and foreigners to the covenants of the promise, without hope and without God in the world.” Ephesians 2:12

Life was never meant to be lived without God. He created us to be with Him. When we are not, all things fall apart.

“He is before all things, and in him all things hold together.” Colossians 1:17

I am thankful, so much more thankful than I will ever be able to express, that I am with God. I have God. He is with me. In Him all things hold together. In Him my life holds together, my heart holds together, my marriage holds together, my family holds together. He is all there is.

Injustice is breaking my heart. The depravity of humanity is breaking my heart. The sin which so easily entangles. It crushes. Society accepts it as normal, only because it is prevalent. It is a disease which is no longer considered a sickness.

Divorce began with an “at-fault” status. Divorce was legal, only, when one spouse was at at fault for adultery. A “no-fault” acceptance of divorce eventually crept itself through our law system, and now, it is hardly about who’s “fault” it is.

I am not idealistic, here. I understand that divorce happens. I recognize that there is, on rare occasion, a necessity for it. And God’s grace is sufficient for all of us the same. He forgives, He heals, and He restores. However, divorce is in no way ideal. It is not God’s plan, and in most cases, we as a whole have abused it, and treated it far, far too lightly.

Without Him, all things fall apart. There is no hope. Two people get married with a full understanding and acceptance that their legal contract of a marriage may someday end. They even take precautions to protect them when that takes place. I’d go so far as to propose that some, on their wedding day, expect divorce at some point in future. It is a phase of life, for them, and a gamble. For them, it is not the incredible, indescribable, freeing, life-giving gift which God intends it to be. I experience this gift every day. I may not take full advantage of it. I may not realize my blessing each day, but it is there. I married a man of God. A man whom I will be with for the rest of my life on earth, and am so very, very thankful for that. Never would I wish it any other way. Never will I.

Without Him, all things fall apart. There is no hope. There is no expectation.

“Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! In his great mercy he has given us new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead,” 1 Peter 1:3

Hope for my life, hope for my marriage, hope for eternity. This is not “hope”, as in “I hope my marriage will never end in divorce.” No. This hope is an assurance of expectation. My marriage will not only survive, it will thrive, because I have living hope in Christ Jesus, who gives me life. I do not “hope to get to Heaven one day”. I have hope; a complete and assured expectation of spending eternity in a perfect existence– in the presence of God.