"It's all the economy's fault!"

I'm not a dedicated Oprah watcher, but every now and then if I get home early from school and need some time to unwind, I'll check out what the topic of the show is. Yesterday I got home, sat my butt on the couch, flipped on the tube, and found my heart breaking the moment The Oprah show began.

The entire show was dedicated to talking with married couples who were finding themselves near divorce, or already there, because of the economic state of our nation. Couples joined the show through skyp, via phone, and some were at the show to share of the struggles they have been facing over the past year.

One lady said, "The economic situation is killing my marriage." Right after she said this, I found myself repeating over and over again to myself, "no... the economy isn't killing your marriage, you and your husband are killing your marriage." It broke my heart to listen to these couples who wanted to call it quits because "things are just too hard." Guess what people, no matter the state of the economy, the state of your health, or the state of your finances, things will be difficult.

The reality is, there isn't a push for marriage to be as sacred as it used to be, or as a matter of fact, as it should be. It seems that today it's just something that people choose to do, and when it gets hard, it's okay to make a quick exit. It's easy to point your finger at things, such as the economy, to blame and use as an excuse to run away from uncertainties.

Everyday I discover just how selfish I am; I have to daily allow God to strip away my "it's all about me" attitude and transform me. If we don't at least try to change this "me, me, me" persona we're all guilty of at times, I can certainly understand how this attitude has the ability to control our thoughts and actions in drastic ways. If I didn't daily surrender to God, I'm 100% sure that I wouldn't be married, nor would I even be able to be in a relationship with someone that lasted more than a week.

Choosing to love your spouse and stick with them no matter what is exactly what we as married couples signed up for. A feeling is only a small portion of love. Love consists of something greater; you choose to love. It's a choice.

I was so disturbed by the couples that shared their situations because quite honestly, it felt like a cop-out to me. Maybe they really are losing money, or they really can't find a job, or they can't retire anymore... it's probably valid because we are in an economic crisis, and I do empathize with them. But my point is, where is the commitment that people promised one another on their wedding day? Why can a wife justify tearing down and blaming her hard working husband for getting laid off and not being able to find another job? Since when did marriage become about ourselves and whatever makes me happy?

Where is the sacred institution that God designed at the beginning for a man and wife to become one and to be committed to one another for their time on earth?

If the economy continues to fall, will we continue to love, support, and stick with our life partner? Or will we run because we don't like instability and things become too challenging and too much work?

If the economy is to blame for a divorce,and if things continue to go down hill, we're all doomed...