Borsika posted this today and I loved it ... perhaps you will too :)

A quote...

"Freedom does not always mean going. In the thicker life, in fact, freedom often means staying. That’s certainly true of the Christian understanding of marriage. Staying with one partner over a lifetime opens me up to the goodness of God in a way that serial monogamy doesn’t. Church is another place where freedom means staying. That seems counter-intuitive, given scripture’s emphasis on the kingdom of God and its global enterprise. With both church and marriage, in a culture of options, I choose not to move. I stay rooted in community, because only in a place where I’m free not to leave can I find the “personal” in so-called personal relationship with God. This practice is all about staying in relationships when everything inside me screams to pack up my hurt feelings and find a more ideal community."-- David L. Goetz

(i'm fortunate about not having had the "everything inside me scream to pack up" sensations, but i do think it takes a level of commitment and love to stay with things... to remain committed in patience, gentleness, hope, and faith ~ even when the times are tough. And I think there are great blessings to be found in the depth of relationship that comes with lots and lots of time and integrated experiences and memories. love you all! sherrie)