LOVE IN THE STORMS
February is often the month that we focus on love. I mostly share articles that focus on parenting issues. This month I would like to focus on marriage. Marriage is the base of the family and a vital part that needs attention.
Don’t Blame your spouse. When hard times hit, you can’t blame your spouse for everything and expect them to do all the work to get you out of the mess. If you do this, you won’t make it to a pleasant destination. God made you one flesh — so lean on each other and the Lord and give each other grace.
Bear the Annoyances. If the husband in the back of the kayak is annoyed because his wife’s paddling is splashing water on his face, he can’t complain. The important fact is that she’s giving this mission all she’s got.
The wife sitting in the front of the kayak can’t complain about her position, either, which catches the waves and douses her with ocean water. That’s not her husband’s fault; it’s just part of the circumstances of being in a kayak.
Don’t quit. Here’s the deal- You must stick together.
God will provide. He’ll give you peace or healing. He’ll give you joy, new circumstances or a different perspective. And you’ll have accomplished this challenging, stretching, amazingly difficult endeavor together.
Rely on God’s Word.
Psalm 145:14-15: “The LORD upholds all who are falling and raises up all who are bowed down. The eyes of all look to you, and you give them their food in due season.”
Lamentations 3:22-24: “The steadfast love of the Lord never ceases; his mercies never come to an end; they are new every morning; great is your faithfulness. ‘The Lord is my portion,’ says my soul, ‘therefore I will hope in him.’ ”
Philippians 3:13-14: “Brothers, I do not consider that I have made it my own. But one thing I do: forgetting what lies behind and straining forward to what lies ahead, I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus.”
Enjoy your reward. You’ll smile at each other, because the ocean squall made your marriage better than it was at the beginning. You didn’t simply stay married. You both grew closer to God, and closer to each other. Your relationship became richer, deeper, more meaningful — all because you kept paddling.
If you are going through a storm and would like a trained person to talk to, contact Kathy Wegner to set up an appointment with a Stephen Counselor at 920-285-0002
