But I Love Him — How Can I Remarry?
Author Unknown
via Sentry Magazine, Vol. 19 No. 1, March 1993
Perhaps because of our youthful foolishness, compounded by a fresh love and a new marriage, my wife and I discussed the possibility of remarrying if one of us passed away, even in the first week of our new life together. It was suggested by one of us that remarriage wouldn’t be possible, as it would desecrate the memory of love for the departed one. But, is that the case? For a few moments, let us consider that problem in the light of God’s revelation to mankind.
As to the rightness of remarriage, the Lord makes that abundantly clear. The wife is not bound to the husband when he is gone (Romans 7), Paul says. Further, he says for the widow to marry "only in the Lord" (I Corinthians 7:39). The younger widow is certainly a fit subject for matrimony as the Lord said, "I will therefore that the younger widow marry, bear children" (I Timothy 5:14). But the right to remarry is not the issue to be considered. The question is: Is an injustice wrought against the memory of a departed loved one when the remaining mate remarries?
Reflect, if you will, for a moment on the person Ruth. A more beautiful love story is not to be found in all the annals of the world’s greatest literature than the one in which she plays the central character. But, this was not a love story of the sweet young virgins, unbetrothed to man, but a love story whose principal figure was an innocent widow. At the death of her husband, she could have grieved herself into a miserable existence. She, however, did not. Amid the ruins of a deceased love, she built a beautiful temple of fulfilled existence for all mankind to admire.
Had Ruth not remarried, the world would have been without David, the man of God. The Psalms would have been fewer and without the beautiful 23rd. Surely, some may reason, God would have inspired another to have written these passages, but even at that, the author would not have been the princely shepherd boy. His life is a direct result of Ruth’s remarriage.
Young men and young women, the love that flows from your breast toward your spouse can be a never-ending fountain of beauty. Should the Lord receive unto Himself your loved one, do not allow that fountain to dry up. You see, the love that we pour forth to others is really all that we can bestow of lasting value. Should love cease to be given to others, we are in effect dead within ourselves. A hollow shell void of all purpose and value. No husband or wife who loves us would want us to be alone just because he or she is no longer able to walk hand in hand with us down life’s weary lane.
We should continue to live, and to love, even though our source of joy has been taken from us. To be sure, let us pray that such does not take place, but if it does, we should hold our chins high and look to the Almighty God who can buoy us up in all adversity. Let His will, and not ours, be done in all things.
