Valuing our mate will change the
way we see their idiosyncrasies. We will have more patience with them, and
change our focus about how their foibles affect us.
Cherishing him/her will endear
them to us for life. We can plan our actions and our words to say, "I love
you" all day long. The joy we felt while dating multiplies over the years
of our marriage.
Any relationship takes work:
parent - child, husband - wife, employer - employee, etc. Since we see each
other every day, we tend to take one another for granted and forget to do the
little things that improve our relationship.
Emotional disconnect occurs when
we fail to connect physically with quality time on a regular basis. We may extinguish
our mate's love for us with our words, attitude and actions. Complaints,
criticism, angry words, and taking one another for granted will destroy our relationship.
We all need verbal affirmation,
but men need it daily. They crave the sympathy, nurturing, understanding and
adulation that their mother used to give them. Verbal affirmation goes a long
way in cementing our marital ties.
We plan and make time in our busy
schedules to relax together, have fun and share our deepest thoughts and fear. When
we are too busy for each other, we grow apart more and more each day.
Spending focused time as a couple
and a family helps us to bond more intimately. Families are not disposable. The
grass really is not any greener on the other side of the fence; and anyway, the
fence is still there.
Prayer:
Father God, please remind us that
distance grows in relationships unless we stay connected as we grow older
together, bond with our souls rather than drifting apart, make one another a
priority and realize that meeting our mate's needs is as important to them and
to us as meeting our own needs.
Help us to see that in a good
marriage we make time each week for both mates to bond with people of our same
sex. Some people need this more than others do. Remind us that even if we enjoy
time with our spouse, doing things separately with friends gives us space and
time to enjoy hobbies that our spouse does not enjoy. It also gives us time to
really miss each other.
Thought for the Day:
When we work out our marital issues
in a manner that is agreeable to everyone, we set an example for future
generations and everyone around us.
