Minced Words ~ ‘Till Death…

Greetings Dear Reader,

I need to be absolutely clear before I embark on these thoughts that I do not speak from a position of innocence or judgment.  My own failures disqualify me from both. I know my experience and I know what others tell me to the degree that they are honest.  This does not change the raw truth of things.

I only know of one person that said both the vow, “’Till death do us part” and later “I only expected the marriage to last ten years or so from the beginning.”  This is just a single example of the way in which we mince the vows we take.  We shave away at the bedrock of them until they are sand. 

I rather want to focus on those who are experts and mincing words but choose integrity.  I think of my dear friends “J” and “L”.  I do not have permission to discuss their marriage so I will not reveal their names.  I do, however, have nothing but praise for the way they daily choose to choose each other.

They have had trouble and adversity.  They still choose each other.  There have been times of deep darkness, health issues, and derailed dreams.  They still choose to choose each other.  They are open about the challenges and struggles with those who listen.  They love each other and join forces to live out that love no matter what life throws their way.

No matter how we feel or think this is the right thing to do.  We cannot mince the words of our vows and hope to be “in the right.”  Before you start raising the situational flag Dear Reader, I get that there are circumstances where it becomes unsafe to stay with someone.  If we drew the line there it would be understandable. 

Instead we find ways to diminish our vows to wishes made when we were younger.  Our personals goals, wishes, and desires take precedence over promises we made on which others bet their lives.  The number of lives damaged because we mince these particular words astounds me.

As I said at the beginning, I have failed too much to judge anyone else on this.  I have also learned enough from those failures to know that going down the road of vow shredding is a dangerous choice.  I am not sure that I will ever have the chance again to live out the choice to “keep to my first sworn vows”.  I do, however, find great peace and joy in those like J and L who do so.    

  

Wishing you joy in the journey,

Aramis Thorn

Mat 13:52 So Jesus said to them, "That is why every writer who has become a disciple of Christ’s rule of the universe is like a home owner. He liberally hands out new and old things from his great treasure store.”

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