Beyond Ordinary {A Review}

What a great book Beyond Ordinary was.  It is written by Justin and Trisha Davis, of RefineUs, in a he said/she said format about what it takes to have the extraordinary marriage the God intended for us.  They use their own experiences of living an ordinary marriage for years to help others transform their own relationships.  They not only share truthfully about issues that all marriages go through and how to overcome them, but also share about how they worked through and overcame the ultimate betrayal in any marriage.

It was a perfect reminder that an extraordinary marriage does not come easily.  It requires prayer, intentionality, love, honesty, sacrifice, forgiveness, a strong oneness with God and with your spouse, and so much more!   Living an extraordinary marriage requires time and energy.  It sounds easy enough, but thinking about living this way versus actually living this way are two different things.  An "ordinary" marriage can be easily slipped into, over time.  It's unintentional and happens as spouses slowly drift away ... stop fighting for each other ... stop pursuing each other.  A slow fade.  It's something we can all identify with at certain times in our marriage.  But this is the last thing that most spouses want, and it certainly isn't what God intends for our marriage either.

"God is fighting for you right now.  God is fighting for your heart.  God is fighting for your husband.  God is fighting for your wife.  God's vision for your marriage is extraordinary!  Don't stop fighting.  Don't stop pursuing.  Don't stop sharing the truth.  Don't stop forgiving.  Don't stop praying.  Don't lose hope.  The vision you had when you said 'I do' isn't nearly as extraordinary as God's vision for your marriage. ... God's vision for your marriage is oneness.  It is possible, but it has to be intentional.  You have to choose it, day after day, moment after moment.  One step at a time."

Justin and Trisha Davis' book is a beautiful story about love, grace, forgiveness, and redemption.  I enjoyed it on so many levels, but also really liked that I was able to identify with both of them at different times throughout the book.  They hit on just about every issue that could come up in a marriage and also thoroughly discuss how to overcome those problems.  It's a book that all people can learn from, whether married or not.  Even spouses living an extraordinary marriage will be happy they read this book.  It's a reminder that the oneness God designed for your marriage is a choice that is most definitely worth fighting for.

BeyondOrdinary from RefineUs Ministries on Vimeo.

(I received a copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.)