Jan and I had just repented and reconciled after having one of those marriage “moments.” All was made right after we humbled our hearts over a small and foolish issue. Joy returned to our relationship along with a feeling of refreshment that only repentance can bring. At this time in our relationship, any whiff of division is dealt with immediately.

I walked away with joy in my heart singing the Beatles song, “Help.” I was thankful for the power of oneness, not just with Jan in our marriage, but with the Lord. In times when hell wants to rob our marriage of its peace, we cry out for God’s help. Over the years, the cycle of our repentance has narrowed so that within moments, not minutes, we come to our senses and make things right with each other and God. Our lives have come to sound like the repeated lyrics of the song, “Help!”

As the lyrics say, when we were younger, so much younger than today, both of us felt we never needed anybody’s help in any way. But now those foolish and prideful days are gone, and we are no longer so self-assured. Now, because the Lord has molded us over the years, He has changed our minds and opened the doors to immediate reconciliation. This wasn’t an overnight process. It was personally painful at times and took honesty, a dedication to truth, and continual yielding to God’s will when we wanted to punish the other person.

When any division occurs in our relationship, even the smallest hint of separation, we have come to appreciate the willingness of the other person who is the first person to initiate the process of reconciliation. The first repenting one helps us get our feet back on the ground.

Now, after fifty years of marriage, our lives have changed in oh so many ways. Our demand for personal independence has vanished in the blurring haze of personal pain and the demand for our rights, even when we feel so insecure and vulnerable. We realize we need each other like never before.

When I left the room after we repented, made up, and hugged each other, Jan said, “I think God is talking!” She was right. We both felt the refreshing presence of God that can only be experienced after we repent and get right with the Lord and with each other.

“Repent, then, and turn to God, so that your sins may be wiped out, that times of refreshing may come from the Lord” (Acts 3:19).