journal/MARRIED TO THE CHURCH

TODAY is WORLD MARRIAGE DAY-at a time when divorce rates continue to hover around 50%-
WE CELEBRATE the institution of MARRIAGE

DEAR LORD-we pray for more HEALTHY marriages and stability for our children-OUR CHILDREN
are our FUTURE AND OUR HOPE

it is a GREAT DAY to be ALIVE in the Lord's LOVE for ALL OF US















WITNESS




5-27-13


MARRIED TO THE CHURCH




Growing up
AS a young man in Pittsburgh, Pa.
ALL I ever thought of
As I got older
Was going to college
Meeting a woman
That I very much loved
And raising a family


In other words-like many of us
I wanted to-pursue THE AMERICAN DREAM


Then came my 22^nd birthday
My first deathbed experience
And my promise to GOD:


“To live for my family
My friends
And ALL people everywhere”


About 2005 or 2006
I finally began to realize
That God had a different plan for me
Than I had for myself
A different plan for me
Than he had for most others


Like Jesus
I was to be committed
To God and the CHURCH


SO I FOLLOW CHRIST
AS MOST ALL of us do
As he is the Head of the Church


“For the husband
Is the head of the wife
As Christ is the head of the church
His body
Of which he is the Savior” Ephesians 5:23


“After all
No one ever hated his own body
But he feeds and cares for it
Just as Christ does the church-
For we are members of his body


‘For this reason
A man will leave
His father and mother
And be united to his wife
And the two
Will become one flesh’


This is a profound mystery
But I am talking about Christ and the church” Ephesians 5:32


So I believe I have
A different calling than you
Not better or worse-just different


I have a friend
I call her “Maggie”
And she is my sister in Christ
And my soul mate (a purely platonic relationship)


She says that she believes
That I was
Never meant to share my life
With just one woman
Because I can reach SO MANY


So Christ
Was married to the church
And he had Mary Magdalene


Following in his footsteps
In my own “little” way
I have my friend Maggie


I BELIEVE
The church to BE a FAMILY
And I believe in FAMILY UNITY
Both in the church
AND IN FAMILIES


UNITY IS SO PRECIOUS


I just don’t understand
HOW THE CHURCH
HAS BROKEN into so many pieces
As I don’t understand
HOW families break apart


Well-FOR what it is
I WILL REMAIN
Married to the church
And to my own PRECIOUS FAMILY


And most importantly
I will remain-COMMITED to my promise
And married to God
And PRAY that God
Will make something
Out of my life and yours


For we are all
“PRECIOUS IN THE SIGHT OF THE LORD” Psalm 116:15


Robert P. Wallman
5-15-13




Ps Maggie has been my friend since 2006
She has attended five different churches with me
-Four different denominations


She CONTINUES to be my BF




WITNESS 5-27-13


misc. WITNESS 2-9-14