If I had it

to do all over again, I would still get married. Probably not for the

same reasons I married in the first place. My wife and I were talking

the other day about our getting married almost 29 years ago. She was 19

and today confesses she did not know what she was getting into. I was

27 and according to her, I should have known what I was getting myself

into. But, upon reflection, I didn't.

Marriage is

a marinade. You have to soak in for a decade or two before you begin to

realize what it's all about. True experts in marriage are those couples

who can talk about 40, 50, and 60 years of marital diss, hiss and bliss.

It's a wonderful

marinade. It colors and flavors every aspect of one's life. Folks who

try it for one, two, or three years and call it quits, never do experience

the joys and near supernatural experiences of long term marriage. It's

absolutely delicious when my wife can just look at me and I know what

she is saying without her uttering one syllable. It's called mind reading

or mental telepathy. But it only comes after soaking in each other's juices

for more than a few arguments or few birthdays or few disappointments.

There's no

such thing as an instant marinade and there is no such thing as an instant

marriage made in heaven. Before you truly realize you have a marriage

made in heaven, you have to pass by a few fires from hell together, that

is. Often times, your marinade picks up the flavor of the fire. But that's

okay. Doesn't it taste better when you can taste the fire without eating

charcoal?

Now, before

my single readers have a fit, let me say that marriage was not designed

for every soul on the planet. I can think of some people who should have

remained single rather than mess up a lot of people's lives. Jesus even

indicated that there were some people called to be single. Spiritually

and physically single, that is. I thought I was called to the single life

until God put Mary Ann Blackburn in my path by way of a good friend in

the ministry. You see, I had already entered seminary, but was single.

I figured that since most Protestant congregations want their pastors

married (for just about the same reason the Catholics want their men single),

I would pursue the route of a military chaplain.

But this thoroughly

sweet and precious of a little girl from the hills of Kentucky changed

all that. For the first time I was smitten with a girl who was smitten

for me. That's a kind of nice experience of the two people want to get

married.

One month of

dating had convinced me that she was God's choice. I popped the question

at a restaurant near her university dorm and she immediately accepted.

Eights months later, we were the Rev. and Mrs. John Hatcher. No longer

single, I hardly ever longed for the single life again.

But just think

what marriage delivers in addition to the blue and pink deliveries. You

don't have to eat supper alone anymore. In addition to the evening news

with Dan Rather, you have a wife or husband to add his or her own commentary.

There's someone who actually cares that you have a spot on your new shirt

and wants to "shout it out." And you know without a doubt who

will be the first to the scene of the accident. When you are so sick you

can't call in sick, she will call your boss for you. Wow! The wonder and

wonderful nature of marriage.

In spite of

all the bum raps marriage gets from late night talk show hosts who can't

stay married, marriage is still the most desirable and blessed of human

relationships. I hope you might consider it as an option for yourself

or perhaps you might consider how valuable marriage is and continue to

marinade.

John

Hatcher is pastor of

Outreach International

Center

1091 South Jeff Davis

Drive

Fayetteville, Georgia

30215

770-719-0303

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