An article written by a woman in the UK admits that marriage is more than a piece of paper....
She met David and fell madly in love with him. When she was pregnant with her first baby, he proposed to her and she said, "Yes!" More babies came and life got in the way, so they never got married. They had four children together and the children pleaded with the parents to get married. They never did get married and now they have separated ways.
As she looks back, she gives some reasons for the destruction of the relationship. I thought they were very insightful ~
There was a general growing apart. They stopped communicating. They stopped having sex.
He had feelings of being unloved. She chose to be with the children instead of him, which made him resentful and cross. She would rather go out with her friends than be with him. They grew bored of each other's company and started leading separate lives.
She felt undersupported by him. She now thinks that was from her unwillingness to commit to him. Her parents had a lousy marriage and ended up with an awful divorce. This frightened her from commitment. He was useless with money and she didn't like the "for richer or poorer" vow.
"Maybe, if we had made a proper commitment in front of our friends and loved ones, if we had said those binding, meaningful words, we might not be in this situation...It is a lot easier to get out when you're not married."
She gave some interesting statistics...
18% of married couples divorced after 10 years
39% of cohabitees are separated after 10 years
In 2006, 75% of couples who had children after marriage were still together, compared to 7% of unmarried.
Another case for marriage. Another case for keeping your love alive...smiling, laughing, talking, being affectionate, making time for, putting before the children, commitment, serving...
For this reason a man shall leave his father and his mother,
and be joined to his wife;
and they shall become one flesh.
Genesis 2:24
