I read an article about the remarkable abilities of the liver. Being the largest organ inside the body, it is crucial to our overall health. Yet even if it is damaged it has a remarkable ability to regenerate. If three quarters of it is removed, something kicks in to
replace the lost tissue in less time than it takes for a maple tree to replenish its leaves.
It is humbling to notice that my liver functions quite well without any knowledge, much less assistance, from me. I cannot name its features, or spell its anatomical components. But
since before I was born it has faithfully served to keep me strong in ways I do not understand. My job is simple enough. Eat reasonably well, walk now and then, sleep when I am tired. This three pound brown triangle does its part to keep me rolling.
Marriage is
often the largest issue in a person's life. We can change where we live, or our current job without going into cardiac arrest, but figuring out who and how to love takes a lot of energy.
But what if the One who gifted me with a supremely designed vital organ is also willing to
instill a lovely relationship in my life? What if it is not up to me to understand it, micromanage it, or repair it? What if I could trust that my contribution is actually much smaller than that?
My liver does its work underneath the skin, such that I hope to go my entire
life without ever seeing it in action. What if the cleansing of my marriage is actually happening in a place I cannot see either?
The other day I was listening to a couple that has been together for half a century. They have endured more than their share of heartache, and yet
here they are still holding hands. I had a sense that the vibrancy of their marriage was less about their own expertise than it was a product of their willingness to trust their Maker.
