July 27, 2011

Husbands and Wives



It's no secret, I am madly in love with my husband. It didn't just happen overnight but it has been happening over the last 20 plus years. Really though, happened  is the wrong word. Everything good has come from investing in the marriage and each other as well as a common faith in Jesus Christ. Anything negative was at the root, selfishness on either one or both parts. Plain and simple. You can't bless someone when you are only thinking of yourself. Isn't that what relationships should be about? About blessing each other?
Over the past few weeks The Coffee Guy has been in India. He is at this very moment, literally on the other side of the World. Two evenings from now he will be back home with stories and lessons for life. The thing I am looking forward to most of all is the closeness that we have developed while he has been away. We have used every email, every message and every phone call to share what is going on in our lives and hearts. It isn't the absence that has helped, it is the commitment to simply talking to each other.
So it got me thinking. Why don't couples remember to do that during everyday life? Why do we allow ourselves to be in the same room, house, bed or car but in our hearts we are a world a part? I know the word communication has been over used but unfortunately the concept hasn't.
I want to challenge you. If you find yourself less than madly in love with your spouse, find something good about them and speak it. If they are discouraged, make the time to encourage. If they are tired offer a way to give them rest. Simply make the time to show kindness. No matter how they react, speak kindness but most of all speak life. If you want your relationship to be vibrant and alive, speak life. I don't mean empty words, I mean searching your heart and finding the good, then allowing your partner to hear it. Don't expect this to fix everything but you have to start somewhere, right? If this isn't a strong point, flex your communication muscles and start working out. Relationships don't stay fresh and vibrant on their own. You have to feed and nurture on a daily basis. You wouldn't go a day without feeding your child, I suggest we get better at feeding our relationships.


Always,


Hope

1 comment:

hope said...

I couldn't agree more! My prayers are with you both for these last days.
God be with you. Hope