Kelli & Derek
Family Therapist and author, Tony Rankin, of LifeWay.com, shared the
following in an article titled "Your Marriage is Worth Fighting For -
Marriage is not a fight". It describes a common scene most of us have
experienced and poses some questions. We share it with you as we examine
ways Christian couples can fight for their marriages.
It's 11:16. Derek and Kelli are lying in bed. Not touching. Not speaking. Just staring at the ceiling fan as it hums and spins round and round. Their fight during dinner didn't end with a hug, a kiss, or "I'm sorry." Neither was willing to give in. Finally, after 10 minutes of suffocating silence, Derek exhales and whispers, "Kelli, I don't want to live like this. I can't live like this. What can I say to let you know I still love you?"
Tears begin to slide down Kelli's cheeks. She takes a shaky breath. "I wish I would have said something first. I really do love you, Derek, and I don't want to stay mad."
Slowly their hands meet beneath the sheet. They turn to face each other in the darkness and talk in hushed tones. Soon, the hall clock chimes midnight. They will talk more the next day. Everything isn't fixed. But there is hope.
Who would have spoken first in your marriage?
Marriage is supposed to last forever. There's all that "happily ever after" expectation. All that "til death do us part" sing-song. But then, there's all that harsh reality: selfishness, discontentment, disappointments, struggles, and, yes, loneliness - even when your spouse is right beside you. Harsh reality has killed many marriages. Harsh reality can leave almost any couple wrestling with the questions: Can this marriage be saved? Is our marriage really worth fighting for?
If your goal is to be true to your covenant to your spouse, forsaking all others, the answer is "Yes!" But you've got to get real. And getting real means you've got to stick together even when it's tough - especially when it's tough. A healthy reality check begins with some "stick-like-glue agreements" that a couple must embrace even before their wedding day - and every day thereafter.
Join us on Boaz Ministries tomorrow for Part 1B when we will present some of the stick-like-glue agreements. You may have some of your own. Feel free to share them with us!
Blessings,
Bruce & Bridget
It's 11:16. Derek and Kelli are lying in bed. Not touching. Not speaking. Just staring at the ceiling fan as it hums and spins round and round. Their fight during dinner didn't end with a hug, a kiss, or "I'm sorry." Neither was willing to give in. Finally, after 10 minutes of suffocating silence, Derek exhales and whispers, "Kelli, I don't want to live like this. I can't live like this. What can I say to let you know I still love you?"
Tears begin to slide down Kelli's cheeks. She takes a shaky breath. "I wish I would have said something first. I really do love you, Derek, and I don't want to stay mad."
Slowly their hands meet beneath the sheet. They turn to face each other in the darkness and talk in hushed tones. Soon, the hall clock chimes midnight. They will talk more the next day. Everything isn't fixed. But there is hope.
Who would have spoken first in your marriage?
Marriage is supposed to last forever. There's all that "happily ever after" expectation. All that "til death do us part" sing-song. But then, there's all that harsh reality: selfishness, discontentment, disappointments, struggles, and, yes, loneliness - even when your spouse is right beside you. Harsh reality has killed many marriages. Harsh reality can leave almost any couple wrestling with the questions: Can this marriage be saved? Is our marriage really worth fighting for?
If your goal is to be true to your covenant to your spouse, forsaking all others, the answer is "Yes!" But you've got to get real. And getting real means you've got to stick together even when it's tough - especially when it's tough. A healthy reality check begins with some "stick-like-glue agreements" that a couple must embrace even before their wedding day - and every day thereafter.
Join us on Boaz Ministries tomorrow for Part 1B when we will present some of the stick-like-glue agreements. You may have some of your own. Feel free to share them with us!
Blessings,
Bruce & Bridget
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