A lesson in insanity (i.e. lunch with G)

My friends G and D have been married for 26 years. I've known them for 5-6 years or so through Mosaic. They are my friends, mentors, counselors, leaders. All-around amazing and fun people. Their story made it into a book. To give you a taste of what it is about, it's in a chapter titled: Incurable Romantics. That was how I first learned about their marriage/relationship. It was a wow kind of story. But since I read it in the book, I never asked, so I never heard it directly from either of them.

Until today.

G and I had lunch. We caught up on various things but focused mostly on - yep, you guessed it! - relationships.
G said he and D fought a lot before they were married. It frustrated and somewhat discouraged him. How come he keeps fighting with this person he loves so much. They fought over big and small things. He knew he loved her, and she him, but the frequency and severity of conflicts made him wonder if marriage was in their future.

And in the midst of all that commotion she was diagnosed with lupus.

Now, I already knew about the lupus from the story in the book. I also knew what he did for her from the story in the book.

What I didn't know until today was that the lupus compelled him to marry her. Yes. As in, not only did his decision come AFTER the diagnosis! And I thought the story in the book was remarkable enough...

He said God was telling him, with the lupus, that G needed to persevere through the fights and big and small issues. Because, see, here, the lupus, it's a much bigger deal He's giving him. So they got married.

"And we're still in love," G grinned.

(I swear, he did say that and he did grin).

I thought it's strange of God to do that to get them married (but read the story in the book for what comes after they got married!). And it's strange of G. I almost want to say that he was (and is) borderline insane. And I almost want to say that in admiration.

Because it is a testament of G's character to see God and hear Him through something so painful and so unfair like a disease. And then to obey.

I think that's love.