Do you remember the childhood secrets you promised to keep? The secret was sealed with a pinky swear, and that’s all it took. Or when just keeping your word was good enough? In eighth grade, my best girlfriends promised not to reveal a surprise slumber party for my 14th birthday. It was easy for them to keep the promise because the look on my face when I arrived was worth it to them. The beauty of a promise is the joy and trust it produces on the other side.
Looking back, I see how childhood promises were much easier to keep. I trusted my friends with an innocence that was harder to maintain as I grew into adulthood. I expected promises to be honored as I grew up and didn’t know any different. Life has a way of throwing us curve balls that can crush childhood innocence.
The biggest promise I ever made was to “love and cherish, till death do us part.” I believed every word and stood before friends and family declaring the words as a sign of commitment to my husband. Twenty-one years later, life got in the way. My beliefs turned upside-down and all I held dear seemed to crumble before me.
Broken promises are a sign that our heart is not aligned with God’s heart.
I always believed my marriage was centered on God, but learned that going to church weekly did not constitute a true relationship with God. It took my own broken relationship to see how God desires our focus to center on Him daily–not just when we remember or feel like it.
A promise is not a promise unless we follow through completely.
The beauty of a promise is the joy and trust it produces on the other side. #thepromise #thedentedfender @thedentedfender Share on XToday, I am making a list of broken promises I have experienced in my life, and on the other side of the page, a list of fulfilled promises. Come join me at The Dented Fender to learn more.
Many blessings,
Thank you, Mary, for your transparency and the hope you share!
Thank you for your words. I know they were difficult to write. I understand how you feel, more than you know. Sometimes you feel like you’re breaking the same promise, even when you’re still married.
Beautifully written as you have shared your heart. I’m on my way to continue reading.
Thank you, Diane! I’ll see you over at The Dented Fender.
Thanks for going to this tender place with your writing, Mary. I’ll meet you over at the Dented Fender to read more about the promises.
Thank you for caring so deeply for my words and my story. You are a blessing and I am grateful.