During hurricane season here in my home state of Florida, we are reminded of one important thing over and over again. Here it is. How you do when the storm comes depends on what you did before the storm comes. That same thought applies to marriage relationships as well. We need to be prepared. Here are three things that you should do to prepare for the marital storms that will come.
- The first step in preparing for the storms in our married life is to understand that marriage is for life. And you and your spouse must agree that marriage is for life, that divorce is not an option, and that the “d” word will not be used in your marriage relationship.
- The second thing you need to do to prepare for the storms in life is to maintain your marriage. Just like we maintain a car or a house, we need to maintain our marriages. So, how do you do that? Well, two things that we can do to maintain our marriages is to read great books on marriage and go to great marriage seminars.
- The third thing we need to do is spend time together as a couple. I’m talking about quantity time. That might mean scheduling a date night each week or every other week. Go somewhere where you can just talk like dinner or for a picnic in the park.
- The fourth, and final, step in preparing for the storms that come in your marriage is to always have in mind that you will “choose us.” When you got married, the two became one flesh. You married “for better or worse, for richer or poorer, in sickness and in health.” The storms that do hit your marriage will subside. They will blow over. And then you know what’s left? Just the two of you—you and your spouse. So “choose us!”
I think you will really like the video clip below from The Family Man movie. It’s awesome and I think you’ll be encouraged by it.
When storms do arise in your marriage, use this worksheet to put conflict to REST.