The Bible says “The two will become one flesh” (Ephesians 5:31) so when illness intrudes upon a marriage by grabbing hold of one of the partners, it can become powerfully invasive.

It can steal away from you so many of of the dreams you have planned out together and reduce them into living one day at a time instead, trying to cope with each trial the illness brings with it. It can also test the metal of each spouses value system and character traits in what they will be willing to do, in order to help their ailing partner.

“Marriage is two people traveling together, each one more concerned with the other’s well-being than with his or her own” (J.L. Hardesty) The Bible says in Philippians 2:4, “Each of you should look not only to your own interests, but also to the interests of others.” It also says, “Nobody should seek his own good, but the good of others” (1 Corinthians 10:24).

But when the strained dailiness of living with a very ill partner hits your home, it can be the last thing that comes to mind as far as continually “dying to self” and dying to dreams and “normalcy.” Yet, that is what the vow you gave “to have and to hold in sickness and in health” demands, when illness intrudes upon your marriage.

It is our prayer that there is “such a oneness between you in your marriage that when one of you weeps, the other will taste the salt.” It is our prayer that when illness attacks your home, you will pull together, rather than letting it rip you apart as a marital team. It is our prayer that when each of you is tested through the invasion of sickness, that you will grab onto the strength that God can give you to do what needs to be done for your marriage partner.

“Sometimes ’sickness’ can be the most ‘healthy’ place to be if God is present, because He can change us there” (Myrna Pugh).

To help you in this journey to “health” we have a few links to articles that we pray will minister to your spirits and your marriage. Please click onto the web site links provided below:

• ILLNESS: Living With an Intruder

• MY HUSBAND’S TUMOR: No Guarantees

•  WOULD MY MATE LEAVE ME?

• IT’S OKAY TO LAUGH DESPITE CANCER

When someone in the family gets seriously ill, he/she might be the one infected, but the entire family is affected. Whether it’s disease or chronic pain that has changed your relationship with a loved one, Dr. Phil has advice on how to cope.

TO READ THIS ARTICLE
from the web site for
Dr Phil McGraw
(This is not a Christian web site, but it’s a very good one with common sense principles):

CLICK HERE

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