Marriage

I've been thinking a lot on Marriage lately. I guess with Valentine's Day just around the corner - it's a hot topic. Ron and I were actually discussing marriage earlier this week. We know of so many marriages that we can honestly say we would want nothing like what they have! There are few marriages out there that you can look at and say - "Now they have a great marriage, lets model ours after theirs."

It's sad to me but quite the opposite is true. Many marriages today have a lack of trust and a lack of communication. How can you love someone and grow in your love for them if #1, you can't trust them and #2, you don't even communicate with them? It doesn't happen!

When Ron and I were first talking about getting married we talked a lot about what we wanted in our marriage, our family and our lives together. We talked about examples around us, some things we like, some we agreed we wanted no part of. But the important thing is we talked about it. We made an agreement together that we would talk about everything - even if it wasn't easy or even if it would make the other person upset - we had to be open and honest and communicate what we were thinking! I struggle with this. I have never been the kind of person that just talks about things - I have to sit and think through and process before I open my mouth. Now, I know some of you might be saying, "that's good" and in a way it is, but it can also be bad. I tend to think a LONG time!

Anyway, all that to say...I think one of the most important things in a Marriage is Communication! Without communication, would you ever have known anything about your spouse in the first place? The way we learn and grow and draw closer to someone is to communicate with them.

Communication is extremely important. In fact at a Ladies meeting last night, that was how I answered the question, "what is your secret to a happy marriage?" "Communication!"
However, I've been thinking about it a lot since giving that answer. I don't think that is all. There is more.

Ron and I can talk until we're blue in the face, but if we are missing one key ingredient, it won't matter.

I'm talking about Jesus! I'm 100% convinced (and you can't change my mind) that without Jesus in our marriage - Ron and I would have a terrible marriage!

It's JESUS that makes it a happy marriage. We have joy, we have tears, we argue or disagree, but through it all we have our relationship with Jesus in common. We pray for each other, we pray for our children, we pray for every circumstance we face. What do couples do that don't have Jesus?

I want my marriage to be modeled after the Trinity! I want Ron, Jan and Jesus! We are ONE! We are a team! We are lost without one of our members!

Jesus, thank you for giving me a loving spouse. Thank you for teaching me to be a loving spouse. Thank you so much for Ron's relationship with you! And Jesus continue to teach us how to love one another in a self-giving way! We want our marriage to model you! Amen!

So what about you - what's your key to a happy, healthy marriage? Any thoughts?