Keeping the LIFE in Your Marriage When Life Gets Busy!
In less that three weeks, Matt and I will have been married for 17 years!
Holy goodness! Where does time go?
It feels like just yesterday I was a scared bride walking down the aisle and into a relationship that was totally foreign to me! I didn’t grow up in a healthy home when it came to marriage. My parents split when I was 12, and it was a RELIEF when they told me they were getting divorced.
As a new bride, I didn’t really know what a strong marriage looked like. Thank God He sent me a man who was willing to fight for that!
17 years later, I can say our marriage is beautiful! Not without fault or fights, but better with every passing day. It’s taken time to learn what makes each other tick… in good and bad ways. We are always facing struggles and road blocks, but it’s kind of FUN to face each new obstacle together!
Right now, we are in a season of BUSY! With two kids we homeschool, Matt leading a ministry, me working full time from home WHILE I homeschool, and add in sports and social events on top of that, we are just B-U-S-Y!
Yet, God calls us to put our marriage second only to Him!
HOW?? How do we make time for one another -relationally and physically?
Very carefully! 😉
- Communication is key. When I don’t communicate feeling alone or not sought after, Matt doesn’t know I’m struggling. When he doesn’t share his need for more intimacy, I can get lost in the business and forget! It’s so important not to EXPECT a perfect marriage without communication and intention!
- Schedule 1:1 time. If we don’t pencil one another in, it ain’t gonna happen! Right now our goal is a date night twice a month! We have to get creative or take any opportunity that comes our way! But time alone is so important for keep the marriage fresh!
- Seize the moments you get! Traditional date nights or movies or peaceful nights on the couch don’t happen like they used to. But seize every opportunity to be alone when the boys are at a friend’s house or on Sunday afternoons when we tell the boys to give us some time alone! When Mom calls and asks if she can take the boys to eat, we say “YES” and head out for a walk!
I think expectation needs to be the FIRST thing we throw out the window, and just be willing to roll with it as life changes happen!