If there is one thing that is hard in my life, it is my marriage. My husband travels 3-4 days a week. When he is home I usually work 1-2 days of that time. Every week it is the same thing over and over and over. We have to get use to one another again. Last week we were in Rome, Italy. We had an amazing time. Just the two of us. We even had a flat tire when we got home. But we were happy. When we arrived home, Rob begged me to remain calm no matter what the house looked like or what the kids were up too. I agreed. But of course as soon as I saw how messy my house was, my head started spinning and my mouth was screaming. Oh well... maybe next year. It is amazing how a few minutes can ruin a day or even the memories of a great trip. So here we are again, back in that rut of life. But you know what.... God has more for us that the rut. The Holy Spirit is our teacher, and he whispers all day to me what I should and shouldn't do, but I don't listen. Maybe he should scream it to me, cause how can I hear the Holy Spirit when I am screaming. Ha Ha. I'm not that bad.
Here are five "musts" of marriage. I am going to put them to use also. Even the best of marriages can learn something from these.
1. Be thankful for your spouse.
Pray that God will help you love your spouse the way that they need to be loved.
2.Practice communicating from the heart.
Pay attention to what works well when communicating with your spouse. Practice it
3.Be intimate.
Like it or not, it is a gift from God
You have to be attentive to all of your husband's needs. Be the example. Don't expect to get back what you give. Marriages should be 50-50%, but most are not.
4.Practice the power of forgiveness.
We are all broken, imperfect human beings, we fail our spouses as they do to us. Do not focus on flaws and then punish your spouse. Forgive and you will be forgiven.
5.Be teachable.
Marriage is always a work in progress. Be patient and pray that God will open your eyes to the needs of your spouse. Realize the gift he has given you and be thankful. I know that often I pray for God to change me, not praying for my spouse to change. We cannot change them, God can though. We can allow God to change us.
Pray daily for God to strengthen your marriage.
Amy
