I had a conversation with a friend of mine recently, talking about long distance relationships. But not as boyfriend-girlfriend... as a married couple. She told me that she knew this couple who continued to live in 2 separate states in Malaysia for 2 years after they got married. I was amazed! Are there people like that in this world? I suppose for some, circumstances may rule... perhaps it is because of work that spouses get separated. But I cannot imagine that anyone would want to live that way as a married couple. She told me that it was a personal choice, and they were both pretty happy with the arrangement.

What's the point of getting married then? Isn't marriage about living together, irritating one another with annoying habits, and whacking each other with your hand as you turn in bed? I have a lot of friends getting married this year, and in our church, we recommend that each couple goes through some form of pre-marital counseling. It's a really good idea, because sometimes you don't really get to talk about tough issues until it is brought up. I truly enjoy being married. In fact, this is one of the best things that has happened to me in life. :) A lot of couples spend hours and hours preparing that guest list for the wedding, or planning what decor and colour they should have for the banquet hall...but they don't invest enough time into planning for a marriage.

No doubt, you will definitely face problems in life and in marriage, but I'd like to think that at least, I was prepared mentally for it. I really believe God put marriage into place so that we can purposely irritate each other (the couple, I mean, not God!). No one is perfect, and as we go through life, we learn to be humble, learn from our mistakes and become a better person. We learn to live life less selfishly and to know that life is not all about winning (an argument!). He planned marriage so that we can reflect Christ to each other. And how best to do that but to live with each other, and see each other day in day out?