Monday, August 04, 2008

My Lover, My Best Friend

Well, we're home. This morning Sharon went to work, facing a couple large tasks. I arrived, opened Outlook and watched the inbox number reach 240 and the Junk E-mail go to 18. Not bad for two weeks. We had a wonderful vacation and we discovered, once again, that we not only love each other after 34 years, we also like each other and love to spend time together. We even had things to talk about when we got home after all those hours in the car.

If you're reading this and are not yet married, look for a person of the opposite sex who is a good friend. If you're already married, work on the friendship. It's interesting to me that when Paul writes Titus about what older women should teach younger women, it is to "love their husbands." But Paul doesn't use the word "eros" which has to do with sexual attraction or "agape" which has to do with unconditionally loving or "storge" which refers to natural affection (like what most people feel toward children and pets). He uses "phileo" which refers to side by side, working together camaraderie and friendship. Paul's intentional use of this word tells me he knew that amid everything else, couples need to be friends. I thank God often that I married my best friend.

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