A Weekend to Remember
By Mike Sanders
Our marriage was seriously broken. It had been since the beginning. Over the years we had forgotten how to talk to each other. The kids had become a source of division, intimacy was almost a thing of the past, and we couldn't agree on anything. This was our sad but true story four years ago before attending the FamilyLife Marriage Conference, A Weekend to Remember.
Mary talked me into going. She wanted to love, but couldn't forgive the hurts of the past. She dreamt of a different way of life. She heard about the conference on the radio and asked, "Would you go to the conference with me?" My answer initially was "No!" I had tried and failed to change her for 25 years without success and figured "What difference could a weekend make?" Of course, I didn't need to change. That was out of the question.
Just before the conference we took a trip to celebrate our 25th wedding anniversary. Some celebration. We took along all the baggage and hurts of twenty-five years. One morning, after an argument, we sat in our hotel room with nothing to say except "Maybe divorce is all there is left for us."
Shortly after returning home I remembered that I had forgotten to get Mary an anniversary gift so I asked her what she would like for her anniversary. She'd given me a present and fairness dictated that I get her one too. She really surprised me when she said, "All I want is to go to that FamilyLife Marriage Conference, that's ALL I want." I felt trapped. I couldn't deny her this one wish after 25 years of marriage so I agreed to go.
What we found at the conference was a ballroom full of all kinds of people. The speakers were top notch and funny too, and shared from their own lives. That Friday evening we learned about the Five Barriers to Oneness and the World's fifty-fifty trap for marriage that leads to isolation. We, as most do, identified ourselves as being in that trap.
On Saturday we heard about God's purpose for marriage and about God's plan for marriage. Wow, I didn't' even know He had one. Then we heard of God's power for healing, oneness and how He could help us forgive each other and how to love each other unconditionally. There is so much to tell it must be experienced to really grasp it.
Saturday evening, while we were preparing for 'date night', we talked about the kind of marriage we had learned about. We wanted it. And, now we knew how to get it. Two people who had failed together for over 25 years forgave each other, asked Christ for forgiveness and then asked Him to become the center of their marriage. Mary says she went home with a brand new husband and I went home with the wife I had desired for all those years.
Our story is not unique. At FamilyLife we see it all the time. FamilyLife exists to answer the questions today's couples are asking. Questions like, "How can we bring love and passion to our marriage?" or "How can I stay married in a society where divorce is increasingly accepted?"
The Weekend to Remember is coming to the Hilton St. Louis Frontenac this November 21st through the 23rd. Why not come and find what we found. Whether your marriage could use a major overhaul or just a routine oil change; whether you are in the planning stages or just starting out; let God's timeless principals speak to your heart. Get the details and register by calling 1-800-FLTODAY (1-800-358-6329) or by going online to www.familylife.com.