Monday, August 2, 2010

Love always protects

“Marriage is made up of many things, including joys, sorrows, successes and failures.  But when you think about what you want marriage to be like, the furthest thing from your mind is a battleground.  However, there are some battles you should be more than willing to fight.  These are battles that pertain to protecting your spouse.  Your mate and your marriage need your constant protection from things like: harmful influences (anything that brings in destructive content or drains away precious hours from your family, i.e. TV, internet, work schedules, etc.), unhealthy relationships (anyone who undermines your marriage), shame (never speak negatively about your spouse in public; their secrets are your secrets; love hides the faults of others; it covers their shame) and parasites (anything that latches onto you or your partner and sucks the life out of your marriage, i.e. addictions).

Wives – You must guard your heart from being led away by anything that blurs your perception of reality and causes you to place unfair expectations on your husband.

Men – You are the head of your home.  You are the one responsible before God for guarding the gate and standing your ground against anything that would threaten your wife or marriage.  This role is yours.  Take it seriously.”

Today’s Dare:  Remove anything that is hindering your relationship, any addiction or influence that’s stealing your affections and turning your heart away from your spouse.

Steve and I, fortunately, have not had too many of these issues to deal with since we settled this issue before we married.  The only one that has ever caused a problem for us is Steve’s work schedule.  The man has a wonderful work ethic.  While this allows us to live a wonderful and comfortable life, it often takes him away from his family for many hours.  I know that our family comes first in his heart and mind, and he makes sure that we feel loved.  Steve’s job is very demanding, but he puts limits and boundaries around it by setting a certain time of day that he will leave the office and turning off his cell phone during family time.

This dare is a reminder that we need to be ever-vigilant against the seemingly innocent things that can attack our marriage.

Steven, I love you.  Thank you for protecting our marriage and our family.  Thank you for providing for us.  Thank you for loving us.

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