What is a zipper merge? I learned about this recently while I was on the road trip with one of my dear sisters in Christ. We were on our way back from a women’s retreat in North Carolina when she described to me what was happening on the road. As a person who does not drive, the way she described it opened the door for me to receive an inspiration about marriage from the Holy Spirit.

But first, what is a zipper merge?

A zipper merge is a driving technique that helps keep traffic moving when a lane is closed for construction or maintenance. Drivers use both lanes until the merge point, then take turns moving into the open lane. The name comes from the way the two lines of traffic smoothly come together, similar to the action of a zipper. 

Two lanes become one! Marriage also requires a technique (wisdom) that helps two individual people move forward to become one. Whether in a time of challenge (Construction) or in living steadily day in and day out (Maintenance). Both sides take one move at a time until they merge into the same lane – into the divine relationship as husband and wife as God intended.

The major benefit of the zipper merge is to reduce congestion (any blockage which stops the process of two becoming one) and to synchronize the speed of the two lanes (husband and wife) as they draw closer to each other and to God. If you have ever had a question or situation in which you feel like you and your spouse are not on the same path or moving at different speeds in your relationship with Jesus, you may possibly understand what it means to moving at different speeds and how important it is.

Driving on the road is like living in this world. There are circumstances that require you to take a detour or change lanes. Sometimes you are not the only car driving on the road. Especially in conditions where you need to merge into a different lane. When this happens, if a driver wants to merge safely, they need to take their time rather than fly-through the lanes. They need to adjust their speed, pay careful attention, and cooperate! The same concept can be applied in every marriage relationship as well – if a husband and wife desire to merge into one and safely arrive at their destination, they need to adjust their speed, pay careful attention, and cooperate. They need to slow down and not be tempted to fly-through lanes.

We hear a lot about two becoming one, yet when we take it to heart, we will find out it requires wisdom, understanding, patience, and endurance. Keep your eyes on the destination and don’t speed!