Product Description
Globally, marriage seems to be under attack. This has always been the case, but one must wonder why the relentless assault on marriage seems to go hand in hand with the rudderlessness of so-called modernity and progress. Divorce, dissatisfaction, and domestic violence are common. Sadly, even where open conflict is not visible, many married couples settle for a cold war, their only consolation coming from the fact that their friends (or even enemies ) consider them to be doing OK. From the ecstatic days of being head over heels in love, the bar keeps getting lowered. Survival becomes the name of the game. The assumption seems to be that if we don't expect too much, at least we will not be too disappointed. Some are even asking, "Why do we need marriage any longer?" Surprised by Marriage, therefore, is extremely timely. Against a backdrop of despair and disillusionment with marriage, we are invited to a perspective that is suffused with hope. Biblical hope is not just wishful thinking. It is undergirded by the character of the God of hope, who is Himself the designer of marriage. In this book, each chapter is a walk with God in seeking to understand what He had in mind when He came up with the very idea of marriage. Many a marriage book feels like an effort to panel beat a damaged institution called marriage into something that works. But Dominic Ichaba helps us see that marriage is far more than the best that humanity can imagine. And yet he makes it clear marriage is not to be idolised; worshippers of God have the freedom to discover the joy and freedom of being single or married as God leads.Gems of insight surface in every chapter. Thorough research and the vulnerable sharing of personal experience are matched by clarity of communication. Surprised by Marriage will enrich your life, and be an excellent resource to share with others. The Bible begins with marriage in the book of Genesis and ends with marriage in the book of Revelation. What is the purpose of marriage? Why does it so often start out in radiant love but soon decline into conflict? Surprised by Marriage doesn't dodge the tough questions. Indeed, the answer to these questions gives the book its title, for the solution is truly surprising. And God delights in working that element of surprise - and freshness - into every marriage. But only on His terms. God offersthe best, and a compromise will not do. If we ask for a fish, He will not allow us to settle for a serpent Surprised by Marriage is a rich treasure of fresh insights mined from years of careful study and personal experience. Married or living in singleness, this work invites us to discover, as the author did, the satisfying love relationship of which marriage is only a temporary shadow. The setting of most of this book is Africa because the personal stories happened there. The principles are universal but, most importantly, biblical. I am grateful for this wonderful offering and I pray that it will be read widely and that it will surprise and help many.Mutua MahiainiInternational President, The Navigators, Colorado Springs, Colorado, USA.
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