Just yesterday I was having tea with a friend and we were chatting about marriage. She has children at the marrying age all the way down to eight years old. I would consider her and her husband to have a great marriage. She would agree. The problem is that I don't know many people who I could really say that I think they have a great marriage. I have always felt so overwhelmed by the fact that Michael and I have a wonderful marriage. I am so full of thanksgiving to the Lord for this. It isn't something that we have done on our own, and I am not quite for sure what made it a great marriage. I know that a three fold cord isn't easily broken and we have the Lord and each other making up our three fold cord. But there are many Christian people that have the Lord, and their marriage isn't good let alone great.
As I sat with my friend yesterday, I asked her what did she and her husband do to make their marriage great. She looked at me and chuckled and said, "I really don't know." I asked Michael the same question the other evening when we were alone. We spent some time chatting about it, but I don't know that we came to a single conclusion. Here is what I do know...
When we got married, we moved from a town of 3,000 and 2 stop lights to Orlando, Florida. What a culture shock for both of us! We both had just turned 19 and we were on our own. It was just him and me. We were 13 hours from our home and anything familiar to us. We poured ourselves into one another because we had nobody else. We have always lived away from our family and we have learned how to depend on each other.
We started out with a great friendship, and it has only grown from there. Michael is my best friend and he has been that for many years. There isn't any person in the world that I would rather spend the day with than him. We enjoy being with one another. He does some things that I don't enjoy, but I will do them if he asks me to. The other day he asked me to go golfing with him. He doesn't golf very much and he thought it would be fun. I personally did not want to go, but I went anyway. I didn't want to golf so I told him I would drive the golf cart. We had a ball that afternoon. We laughed and talked for several hours. I walked around the golf course barefooted because the grass felt so good on my feet. He wasn't embarrassed. He knew that was something that would make me smile.
I know there are things over the years that we have done to make our marriage great. I am considering posting some of those ideas that have worked for us in several different posts. My heart is to see husbands and wives walking in a great relationship with one another. We have had to learn how to disagree in the right way. We have even had to learn how to fight things out in the correct manner. We don't always agree. There are days that I could just shake him, but those days are few and far between.
What about you? Do you have any ideas to share with others on how to make a great marriage?
grace and peace,
julie
5 comments:
We have a great marriage. I will try to think of reasons why. =)
I think being willing to talk about things. We try to trust the other ones intentions. I do believe that communication and friendship are at the top of the list.
I have always tried to be a wife he could be proud of. Not in a bragging, flaunting way, but one that leave nothing another woman can offer that he doesn't already have. By making sure I am meeting all his needs, I am in turn blessed because he is so appreciative to have someone cherish him like that and he then wants to take better care of me. It goes back and forth until we think we can't love one another any more, and then we realize down the road that we do anyway! It's amazing how your heart canbe completely full and yet your love can continue to grow.
Marci,
I would have to agree we have that communication and frienship is at the top of the list!!! I can't imagine not having a friendship with my husband.
Motherofmany,
I too purposed that my husband would not be able to find another woman to give him anything that I didn't already give him. I think you summed it up beautifully in your last sentence!!! Thanks for the insight.
grace and peace,
julie
Julie, Just came across your blog today and am enjoying the read.
When we married, we went overseas with the military and spent nearly 4 years establishing a home. Three of our children are married and we have been glad that they have also had the opportunity to establish homes and families while away from extended family, too. It does make you dependent on the Lord and on each other and I believe it is the best way to learn to "cleave" to one another.
BTW, the zinnias are lovely...my favorite flower.
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