2 soldiers. 2 hospital beds. 1 military hospital in Vietnam.

Both men lay side by side. One soldier had been the victim of a detonated landmine, which resulted in a below-knee amputation. Other than a missing limb, he appeared well on his way to recovery.

The other soldier had been left for dead, but was miraculously rescued from underneath a pile of corpses. Napalm had scalded the majority of his left side, and his skin was a cadaverous kaleidoscope of alternating granulation tissue and necrotic residue. Only the right side of his face was recognizable, and for many days, it was uncertain whether or not he would survive his injuries. Eventually, it became apparent that he would recover, but not without permanent disfigurement and disability.

One day, the amputee’s wife strode through the doors of the facility. Eager to see her, the soldier sat up and reached out to embrace his bride. Instead, she somewhat forcefully took his hand, removed her wedding ring, and placed it in his palm. “I didn’t marry a cripple,” she said, and immediately walked out. Moments later, the man died…a casualty not of war, but of a broken heart.

And then, the other soldier’s wife arrived. Upon seeing her, the man used every ounce of strength to turn his head so that his right side was visible to his beloved. And when she came to his bedside, she gently cradled his face in her hands and turned his head back to the ghastly scalded side…and she kissed the remnants of his cheek. And as a tear fell on the charred remains of his left ear, she said, “When I said in sickness and in health, I meant it.”

Worldly love leads to disposable relationships, fractured marriages, and broken hearts. But when two people have come to know the sacrificial, unconditional love that would lay down its life for a humanity hopelessly disfigured in sin, that same love can and will characterize a marriage that truly honors that commitment to love…no matter what

Happy Valentine’s Day