John ESENE

      The question, “What is the plan of God regarding man and woman?” The Catechism for a year said in 337 “God who is love and who created man and woman for love has called them to love. By creating man and woman, He called them to an intimate communion of life and love in marriage: ‘So that they are no longer two, but one flesh’ Mat 19:6. God said to them in blessing: ‘Be fruitful and multiply” Gen 1:28.  CCC 1601-1605 for further reading!

      When a primary school girl with her classmates had a lesson on the subject “The Importance of Doctors in Our Society” she made up her mind to be a medical doctor. The class teacher told them that: “A doctor takes care of sick people, works day and night to fight diseases and death, a great friend of the sick, loves his patients and cares for them, makes them happy. We should love and respect doctors; they are important persons to everyone.”

    Unfortunately, in her WAEC Exam, she scored low marks in science subjects. Hence, she had to go for her second choice after two attempts. Then she consoled herself saying, “If I can’t be a doctor, I will marry a doctor or live as a single”. When she became marriageable; her parents did all they could but failed to marry her to the man of their choice (a rich businessman). As age was telling on her, she had to encounter a medical doctor who married her after rejecting many suitors who came her way! She said to herself, “If my husband is a medical doctor and I sincerely support him, then I will feel good.”

     Her heart was burning with fire when she sighted this particular doctor for the first time. When the man turned to look at her, he too was experiencing unusual feelings and they said nothing to each other. After a while, they looked at each other again and exchanged greetings. Then, the doctor excused himself from his patient, left for the toilet to meditate on the drama taking place. On her path, she decided to look out of the window as if she was expecting someone from outside. 

 

      Each of them has been praying to meet and marry the right person but on that very morning, neither of them, even before God arranged their meeting. Adam too did not pray before God gave him Eve. So, you may be lucky to receive marriage proposal when you least expected it. And when it happens that way, look unto God because you need His wisdom to guide your footsteps along the right path and to lead you to say and do the right thing. And He will surely open your eyes and ears to see and hear from Him what to do or say.

Unfortunately, when some people find themselves in this situation, rather than consult God in this regard they will go about consulting friends and relations who are not as wise and caring as God. And later, they will live to regret it.

 

      Can you recall your first meeting with your spouse? Before then, she was in relationship with many doctors until she met this one and felt some kind of fire burning in her heart. Then, she prayed and fasted assiduously with faith before she went for him. And her parents were against it, though there was nothing they could do to change her mind.

     On the day of her wedding, she was shocked when her parents told her openly before all and sundry during her wedding reception, “Now that you are married, make sure that all the doors and windows are shut tight and there should be not one single opening in any window. When there is a crack in any window, you jump out through that crack and go back home. Once they are shut in, you know that you are locked in and you must make it work, especially if you have made the right decision in the first place. Let all that you have been focused on be the home of your husband.”

     Long after the wedding, she said, each time she had a misunderstanding with her husband, she would recall the words of her parents and quickly resolve the issue with him and forge ahead. When in such confused situation, she would sing with Jim Reeves:

“Where do I go from here?

What fate is drawing near?

Touch my heart

And guide my lips in prayer.

 

Through the grace of God alone,

I will cast aside these fears I’ve known,

 And lift myself from

The depths of deep despair!

 

Give me strength that I might find,

 Abiding faith and peace of mind,

 And I won’t ask,

 Where do I go from here!

 

      Today, she and her husband are living as model in their community. When you need a husband or wife, why not submit yourself to God today and wait in faith patiently, trusting that He who gave Adam the bone of his bones will not abandon you? Adam “For, I know what plans I have for you, says the Lord, plans for peace and not for disaster, plans to give you hope and a future. When you call upon me and come and pray to me, I will listen to you. When you seek me, you will find me; and when you search for me with all your heart, I will let you find me.” Jer. 29:11-14.

 

     If your marriage is experiencing a raging storm and you become doubtful whether you are in the right place, rather than walk away from your marriage, go to our God who made Nehemiah victorious and He will do something new in your marriage and put your enemies to shame. “When our enemies in the surrounding nations heard this, they realized that they had lost face, since everyone knew that the work had been done with God’s help.” Neh. 6:16.