Do I ever have an exciting adventure for you! You know there are so many challenges in today's culture where you must prove your ability to survive in the most difficult circumstances. Well, this one is a real challenge! I guarantee to present to you $100,000 (not really) if you enter and pass this test.

The plan: I will buy your ticket to Phoenix, Arizona. There will be a limo at the airport to drive you to an area close by the Grand Canyon where a helicopter will be waiting for you to--of your own free will--climb in and win your $100,000.

You are going for a very short ride--twelve minutes and 34 seconds. There will be beautiful breath-taking scenery and incredible adrenaline-rushes as the copter dips and turns. When you climb out of your seat and your feet are once again on terra firma, you will say, "This has to be one of the most magnificent experiences I could ever hope to have!" However, before you put your name on the dotted line, there is something that you need to know. One out of every two of these short trips never returns. The drafts are too strong, the climbs too steep, the turns too sharp, the cross currents too dangerous and the helicopter crashes. The last trip yesterday afternoon was successful. Are you willing to say, "Yes. I want to risk it"?

You'd be pretty foolhardy to jump at that offer, wouldn't you? One out of every two isn't a wise gamble for any prize, no matter how lucrative. Did you know that those are the latest odds given to you as you--of your own free will--enter into marriage in today's matrimonial challenge for survival?
Marriage gets a lot of bad press. You rarely read an article that tells you about a blissfully happy couple who have weathered all the storms of life together and are still holding hands, but headlines inform you daily of the latest domestic conflicts, shattered lives, and letting the court decide who is the best bet to care for the children. And if you do find yourself at the altar there may be some self-survival thoughts spinning around in your brain:


The message from those thoughts are clear. You aren't signing up for life.

So is it worth it, to take the plunge and get married? Can you survive it? Next week we'll take a look at why so many marriages crash and how Christ wants to keep your relationship steady.