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Oil A Marriage To Prevent Rusty Nail Syndrome Sadly, it happens all the time in marriages throughout the land. The deterioration begins slowly, like rust on a nail. It starts out bright and clear. There is nothing that stands between a man or woman and that first love. He opens the doors for her. She compliments his checkered tie. He says her burnt sacrifice steak is just the way he likes it. She thinks he is Mr. Wonderful. It's not long before a nail exposed to the elements begins to rust. First there is discoloration. In the marriage that checkered tie looses its novelty. The steaks should really be medium rare. Mr. Wonderful seems to have a few flaws after all. Mrs. Perfect has a few imperfections of her own. Both become glaring blemishes. Oh, there is nothing that can't be overlooked, or polished out, but they are there non-the-less. The only problem is that they seem to be growing. That tarnished nail, before long that discoloration has become a thin layer of rust. Nothing serious. It will still hold if driven into a board. Likewise, those small blemishes can become a coating of discontent it they are allowed to dominate the view. Oh sure, the marriage will still work. But the arguments become more vigorous. The former novel cooking habits become a major irritant. The sitting in front of the TV watching football becomes a boil. Nothing destructive, but troubling. Finally, that coat of rust on the once new nail has eaten into the heart of the iron and destroyed the usefulness of that fastener. So in a marriage those little problems, left unchecked become a major problem. Distrust, disgust, hatred -- all become a daily problem -- a problem that is easier abandoned than repaired. All this because we have left our first love. It is easier to oil a new box of nails than it is to attempt to salvage a rusty one. The time to save a marriage is when the problems are small irritants. The oil of communication solve the majority of them in a matter of seconds. "Oh, you like your steaks medium rare? Why didn't you say so? You like your hamburgers well done, I thought you wanted your steak the same way. I'm sorry honey." "You mean you don't like football because you don't understand it? You really do want to spend time with me? Here, let me explain the game to you. Oh, by the way, that movie you been wanting to see? It's on next Sunday afternoon. Why don't we watch it together. There will always be another game." You say today's verse isn't about marriage? Guess again. What is the union between Christ and the Church likened unto? That's right, a marriage. The bride of Christ seems to have lost her first love. A lot of other things have come between her and her Groom. Perhaps the same thing has happened to you -- or maybe it could happen to you. Stop! Now is the time to put a little oil on the rusty relationship between you and your Lord. Call upon Him. "Draw near to Him and He will draw near to you." That's a promise, Amen. The Windshield One rainy afternoon I was driving along one of the main streets of town, taking those extra precautions necessary when the roads are wet and slick. Suddenly, my son Matthew spoke up from his relaxed position in the front seat. "Mom, I'm thinking of something." This announcement usually meant he had been pondering some fact for a while, and was now ready to expound all that his seven-year-old mind had discovered. I was eager to hear. "What are you thinking?" I asked. "The rain;" he began, "is like sin, and the windshield wipers are like God wiping our sins away." After the chill bumps raced up my arms I was able to respond. "That's really good, Matthew." Then my curiosity broke in. How far would this little boy take this revelation? So I asked... "Do you notice how the rain keeps on coming? What does that tell you?" Matthew didn't hesitate one moment with his answer: "We keep on sinning, and God just keeps on forgiving us." I will always remember this whenever I turn my wipers on.
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