Through the lens of Young married

Most marriages have at least one Jabbok. A long night when the unaddressed thing has to come up — and you have to wrestle with it, with each other, and with the Father — until something gets dislocated.

Maybe it is a betrayal that hasn’t been forgiven. A wound from a parent or sibling that has been showing up in your home. A miscarriage you haven’t grieved. A sin one of you has been carrying alone. A drift that has gone on too long. The Father will, at some point, set up the match.

The temptation is to skip it. To go around. To call it not the right time.

There is a different temptation — to wrestle and not let go until something good comes out of it. I will not let you go unless you bless me. The marriage that is willing to wrestle late comes out the other side limping but blessed. The blessing is real. The limp is permanent. Both are signs you actually met the Father in it.

One small thing this week: name one Jabbok the two of you have been avoiding. Don’t try to fix it tonight. Just agree out loud — we are willing to wrestle this with God and with each other. See what He does once both of you have said it.