MARRIAGE
Marriage out of sync? Check the owner's manual
(scene: two chairs side-by-side, another chair set apart)
DOC --- (enters crosses to C, carrying file folder, aloud) John and Mary Anderson.
MARY -- (enters opposite) That's us.
JOHN -- (follows, speaks low) Here we go.
DOC --- (offers hand) Hi, I'm Doctor McCord.
MARY -- (shakes) Nice to meet you.
JOHN -- (shakes) We're a little nervous.
DOC --- You're questionaire (points to file folder, then to chairs) says that this is your first visit to a marriage counsellor.
MARY -- (sitting) Yes.
JOHN -- (sitting) Actually, we're not sure what to expect.
DOC --- Well, I hope you're expecting to get your marriage back on track.
BOTH -- Yes.
DOC --- Well, just to get things rolling. I'd like to ask you to describe your marriage in some rather unusual terms. Mary, if you could describe your marriage as a food, what would it taste like?
MARY -- Leftovers.
DOC --- John?
JOHN -- Tasteless leftovers.
DOC --- John, if you could describe your marriage in terms of a boat, what would the boat look like?
JOHN -- (pause) A slow boat to China?
DOC --- Mary?
MARY -- A slow boat to china without a compass or a motor.
DOC --- That bad, huh?
JOHN -- We don't seem to be making any progress.
MARY -- Even if we were making progress, I'm not sure we'd know where we're going.
DOC --- Has your marriage ever been any better?
MARY -- Oh, yes, when we were first married we were very happy together.
DOC --- John?
JOHN -- I agree. I don't know where we went wrong. But somewhere along the line, we went from being married to being roommates.
MARY -- Actually, I think many roommates have more in common than we do.
DOC --- (reading folder) I see you both describe yourselves as Christians?
BOTH -- (nod) Yes.
DOC --- Mary, do you have a quiet time with the Lord every day?
MARY -- I used to. Once in a while I pick up my Bible and read. But not much anymore.
DOC --- John?
JOHN -- No. I'm just like her, I used to read my Bible and pray every day. But I just never seem to have time for it anymore.
DOC --- John, are you committed to making this marriage work?
JOHN -- Well, yes, of course. That's why I'm here.
DOC --- Mary?
MARY -- Absolutely. When I said "til death do us part", I meant it.
DOC --- (sigh) Well, I have hope for you.
BOTH -- You do?!
DOC --- Yes, if you two weren't Christians, I wouldn't hold out much hope for you, because (stands moves toward exit) I wouldn't be able to have you do the ladder exercise. (exits)
JOHN -- You've got me. I don't know what the ladder exercise is.
MARY -- Me either.
DOC --- (re-enters with 6-foot ladder with rungs on both sides)
MARY -- (to John) It's a real ladder.
DOC --- Of course. (opening ladder with rungs facing exits) I use this exercise only for committed Christians who are committed to their marriage. No one else would understand it. Come on over here. One on each side and step up on the first rung.
BOTH -- (step up)
DOC --- Mary, do you believe that men are made in the image of God?
MARY -- Of course.
DOC --- John, do you believe that women are created in the image of God?
JOHN -- Well, sure, that's one of my old memory verses. Let's see, it's been a while, but I think it goes like this. "So God created man in his own image, in the image of God he created him; male and female he created them."
DOC --- Good. That's important to this exercise. Take one more step up the ladder.
BOTH -- (step up)
DOC --- Notice what's happening?
JOHN -- I may be a little dense, but I don't see anything happening except that we're getting higher.
DOC --- Mary?
MARY -- I'm not sure what's supposed to happen.
DOC --- Most people don't notice it until I draw it to their attention. But Christian marriage is like a ladder. Take one more step up and notice what happens to the distance between you.
BOTH -- (step up)
JOHN -- Oh, man! I have been so stupid!
MARY -- What do you mean?
JOHN -- Here I am SUPPOSE to be the spiritual head of my household, and I couldn't even see what was happening!
MARY -- I must be dense. All I noticed was that we moved closer together.
DOC --- Then you got it. Come on down.
MARY -- (climbing down) John apparently saw something spiritual that I missed.
JOHN -- (down) Yeah, honey, it's just as obvious as the nose on my face now! Our marriage is just like a step ladder. The closer we get to God, the closer we get to each other.
MARY -- The more we know about God the more we know about each other. No wonder we were becoming like strangers! We've both becoming like strangers to the Lord.
JOHN -- That explains why our marriage was so hot in the beginning and it's so cold now. Boy, I sure am glad I'm married!
DOC --- (laughs) What do you mean?
JOHN -- If I was single, I wouldn't have anything to remind me that I was drifting away from the Lord.
MARY -- Do you think that's the way God designed it? So, that when we drifted away from the Lord we drifted away from each other? And we'd notice that first?
DOC --- I wouldn't doubt it at all.
JOHN -- Remember, honey, we used to do devotions at breakfast and discuss our daily Bible readings?
MARY -- I really miss that.
DOC --- (escorting them to exit) Okay, you two, go home and open your Bibles. Rediscover each other by rediscovering the one in whose image you were made. (all exit laughing)
-Bob Snook-
Psalm 127
Laboring and Prospering with the Lord
1 Unless the Lord builds the house, they labour in vain who build it; unless the Lord guards the city, the watchman stays awake in vain.
2 It is vain for you to rise up early, to sit up late, to eat the bread of sorrows; for so He gives His beloved sleep.
3 Behold, children are a heritage from the Lord, the fruit of the womb is a reward.
4 Like arrows in the hand of a warrior, so are the children of one’s youth.
5 Happy is the man who has his quiver full of them; they shall not be ashamed, but shall speak with their enemies in the gate.
We need to allow God to build our relationship in marriage or it won’t stand strong. Only God has the power to heal our relationships but we must surrender to him our lives or he can’t. The more we try the more we will mess it up unless we remember that the closer to God that we are the closer to each other we will be. I have seen this work with my own eyes in my life. And I praise God for the godly husband he has given me who guides me and our children to the Lord everyday and is always willing to admit when he is in the wrong. I love him so much for this. This to me is true romantic love.
Father
We invite you to be the Lord of our relationship. We want you to build our house and home. We want you to be the one to always watch over our little world and family. Without you we rise up in vain every morning. Without you our whole life would be nothing but sorrow … even our happy days would turn to sorrow. Thank you for the children that you have given us as a heritage. Thank you for the fruit of my womb. Help us to raise them to love you and to know how to trust you in all things, especially the partners they will choose someday. Help us to raise them in fear of you and in a way that we will never have cause to be ashamed. Thank you mostly for the Godly husband you have given me and help me to be the wife he deserves and is Biblically entitled to. Amen.
©2010 Bob Snook. Conditions for use: Do not sell any part of this script, even if you rewrite it. Pay no royalties, even if you make money from performances. You may reproduce and distribute this script freely, but all copies must contain this copyright statement. http://www.bobsnook.org
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