Jody and I have been married for 12 ½ years. I absolutely love being married! From the time I was a little girl, I prayed that I would someday marry someone “just like Jesus” with whom I could serve the Lord all my life. Oh, does Jody ever fit the bill! He is the most honorable, noble, strong, faith-filled, honest, generous, loving man I know! And I am madly in love!

          I am so grateful that the longer we are married, the less and less we have times of friction or, “intense fellowship” as I once heard it called! But, we still have them…we are, after all, human. Just recently we had one – it was awful!! And the worst thing about it was that it was totally unintended. It was a matter of miscommunication, changing circumstances, and unmet expectations. But Jody was mad – and he was mad at me! I was beside myself. I cannot function when we are not “right” with each other. I am physically ill – I can’t eat, I can’t think straight, I can’t sleep. I CAN’T STAND IT!!!

          Thankfully, we were able to talk it through the very next morning. Later, as I was praying – and thanking God for helping Jody and I work through it – it struck me: Do I get that upset when things are not “right” between God and me? Sometimes, I’m immediately aware when I’ve done something that has not honored the Lord…sometimes, I don’t even realize it until later, when He brings it to my attention in an unmistakable way. But, either way…what is my response? Am I utterly heart-broken? Am I unable to function normally until I get back on track? Am I so spiritually upset that I feel physically sick to my stomach?

          So, right then and there, I asked the Lord to make me sick! “Lord, make me sick to my stomach when I have sinned against You!  Make me utterly unable to function until I have confessed, repented and received Your forgiveness and grace. Make it so I CANNOT STAND IT when we are “at odds” with each other. Lord, You are my best friend; You are the perfect Lover of my soul; You are my Joy, my Peace, my Strength. You are my Life. I am incomplete, utterly lost without You.”

          I know that if the Lord makes me sick in that way…He’ll actually be healing and strengthening me in the deepest places of who I am, and our relationship will only, then, get better and better and better!