Statistic or Testimony?

Are you a statistic or a testimony? (This is a long one)

This is one thing I ask myself each day as I wake up.

You may wonder why I called the blog "Forged Together." About year and a half ago I was cleaning my apartment when I heard God say to me that He would give me a ministry to call marriages back to healing from their brokeness. As I was listening to what I heard I was told that marriage was meant to be "forged together."

Late that night I was thinking about this word I received and I remembered a scene from “Lord of the Rings-Return of the King,” where there was a sword that was broken called the “Shards of Narci” by the evil one. This sword was forged back together to conquer evil. The sword was given to Aragorn for battle.  Upon wheeling the sword a line is said that is very interesting “I give hope to all men.”

When I looked up what it meant to be forged together I was stunned. To be forged together is to be reshaped under extreme heat and pressure.

Marriage is no different. For those who have been married for any number of years you realize that the pressure, heat and beating you are under is far greater than anything you could ever anticipate.

The funny thing is so is divorce. The bad thing is divorce turns you into that of the shards of Narci. Unless you are willing to go through the intense heat and allow yourself to be reshaped by God you find yourself useless in battle or part of the walking wounded at best.

As I talked to a friend today the imfamous question and comment came up. I have no idea how many times I have heard this, but it is more than I can care to count; no disrespect to those that ask. (I must be careful how I approach this for the protection of my family and wife).

Here is the question I was asked and the comment that was said to me many times before. "Chris, I am so shocked at what has happened in the life of your family. What happened? Looking at your family we felt you to be the role model of a godly family for us. When we thought of how we wanted our family and marriage to be; we wanted to be just like you." No disrespect to those who have said this or even thought this, but it made me realize that our lives are one of two things a statistic or a testimony.

Here is the difference between being a statistic or a testimony (remember you will be remembered as one or the other). A statistic is one who goes with the crowd, falls to the pressures of life and when they are dead and gone are nothing more than a fleeting thought. On the other hand being a testimony is someone who has left a lasting impression and a legacy that is not easily forgotten.

Putting it into simple terms a statistic would be the tombstone in the cemetary as the testimony would be the inscription upon the stone. If you are to read what is written on the stone it is much easier to remember than the stone itself whether it is by color, shape or size.

I was a little curious to see what the effects of divorce was from country to country. I sat down and took 5 countries based on popularity and population. The countries I chose were 4 of the top ten most populated countries and the fifth one being the highest rate of divorce in Europe. Here is my findings which may surprise you as it did me.

China: #1 in population in the world with more than 1.3 billion people. The number of divorces in 2010 totalled 1.058 million people or about 24% of marriages ending in divorce. This is about 8.14% of their entire population. They raked at #17 out of 35 nations for divorce.

Brazil: #6 in population in the world with more than 169 million people. The number of divorces in 2010 totalled 43,940 people. This is about 0.026% (less than 1%) of the entire population or less than 2% of marriages ending in divorce.. They ranked at #33 out of 35 nations for divorce.

Russia: #8 in population in the world with more than 143 million people. The number of divorces in 2010 totalled 480,161 people. This is about 0.34% of their entire population or about 43.3% of marriages ending in divorce. They raked at #3 out of 35 nations for divorce.

England: Having just under 52 million people rank #4 in the world or #1 in Europe in divorce with just over 158,000 people. This is about 0.30% of their entire population or 42.6% of marriages ending in divorce.

USA: The US is by far the most sobbering place for divorces in the world. With more than 311 million people there is more than 1.5 million marriages ending in divorce. This is about .5% of the population as a whole but more than 54.8% of all marriages ending in divorce.
(Nationmaster.com)

After looking at the state by state demographics the numbers vary across the board ranging from as low in some states as 43% to as high as 63% (National Vital Statistics Report, August 27, 2010). This should be of great concern as a country that is to be the leading nation in the world. The unfortunate thing is we are leading in the wrong way.

You may look at these numbers and say "That's just part of life." The question really is "Is THIS part of YOUR life?" As the world goes so do our lifes, our morals and our thinking. This is not what God has called us to. The second we ignore the effects things have on our socity, it is too late to protect ourselves and families from those same dangers that are on our door steps.

You would not lock yourself in your house if you know that it is in the path of a mud slide would you? Then why do you ignore those things that come to kill, steal and distroy that which we were given by God; our lives and our families?

Matthew 5:14-16
¹⁴ “You are the light of the world. A city that is set on a hill cannot be hidden. ¹⁵ Nor do they light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on a lampstand, and it gives light to all who are in the house. ¹⁶ Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works and glorify your Father in heaven.

So again I ask you "Are you a statistic or a testimony? Are you going to shine the light of truth or just fade into the darken?"

CAL