The "Tabor Vision" of our Husband

This is the last post in a series of 5 on the 5 elements that I personally try to remember to keep in my personal life in hopes of keeping Mr. T's and I marriage healthy and myself healthy. I think that that goes both ways, if I want a healthy, successful marriage, than I need to make sure that I am being all that I can be.

Well, with out further ado, the last element, is keeping that "Tabor Vision" of Mr. T in the for front of my mind.

This idea of a "Tabor Vision" comes from the bible and the story of the Transfiguration, when the disciples were granted to moment to see Christ in all his Glory! However it is one of my favorite authors, Dr. Alice Von Hildebrand, that applies this vision to marriage and to the image that we have of our husbands, in her book, "By Love Refined, Letters to a Yong Bride". I received this book from my Maid of Honor at one of my Wedding Showers a few years ago, and I love it! I love it so much that I now pass it on to all brides when they get married, even if they are not Catholic. A brief story on that, Mr. T and I were recently at a family wedding on his side, it was not a Catholic wedding, but non-the-less I gave the bride-to-be, this book at her wedding shower. The bride-to-be's mom read it as well and truly enjoyed it. So much that when we saw her at the wedding she kept talking about the book and was so happy that her daughter had received it as a gift. Hmm, can we also say evangelization!

Now on to the idea of the "Tabor Vision". In her book Dr. Hildebrand states that "usually we encounter in others only a caricature of their being; we are only able to discern what they've made of themselves rather than what they're meant to be." She also reminds us of that what we already know, we are each made in the image and likeness of Christ, we each reflect him. The goal and the challenge is to see that image of Christ in each person.

The joy in marriage is that we are granted that unique opportunity to see that image of Christ in our beloved spouse, we are granted that rare moment to see that beauty, the beauty that can only be seen when we look past sin, dirt, and grime. When this occurs we are able to see our spouse "more clearly than any other human being", we are able to see them for what they are "meant to be in the deepest sense of the word, his 'secret name'." This unique and beautiful opportunity occurs when we are first falling in love with our beloved, usually during courtship, during engagement. When we decide that yes, we want to spend the rest of our lives with him.

Wow, when you really think about it this is a beautiful gift that we are given. It the gift that gives us the courage and strength to say "I Do". What I believe is that we are called to be thankful and to give praise for this gift EVERYDAY! To remember the moment the moments when we saw that "Tabor Vision" of our beloved spouse and to thank God for that. This I believe will renew that energy in us to become the wife that we are called to be and most importantly the daughter of Christ that we are called to be.  

Blessings,
Joy