War Room, by Chris Fabry
“War Room” is a novelization of the movie. As somebody who doesn’t watch any movies, it should not be surprising that I did not watch this movie either. However, the book was an emotional tear-jerker. The story follows a husband and wife who have a shaky marriage. The husband is a talented, hard-working pharmaceutical sales rep who spends a lot of time away from home, and the wife is a real estate agent who prioritizes her daughter over her husband. Every interaction between the husband and wife is an argument, and they are on the edge of divorce. Fighting constantly, the marriage is saved by the grace of God when the wife meets an elderly woman who introduces the family to God and the power of prayer. The overarching theme of this book is prayer and how powerful prayer is. I was so well connected to the characters, that there were several moments when tears literally filled my eyes.
Besides being an emotional book, it was also thought-provoking for me. In many ways, I can see myself falling into the same trap as this family. Like the husband, I can become totally engrossed by and driven by my work. This can become a problem when it starts to take priority over your marriage. Similarly, I have seen other families where the birth of a child drives the couple apart, because the wife idolizes the child more than she respects her husband. While the wife dotes on her child, the husband leans further into his work, and the crazy cycle keeps spiraling. Fault does not belong to just the wife or just the husband; it belongs to both. Both parties are equally responsible for not properly prioritizing their relationship. As a husband, this is something that I never want to forget. Don’t let anything, including career, be above God or above my wife. God first, marriage second.