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Marriage Maintenance



Routines...everyone has them.  They may look different in each life and family.  There are quiet rhythms that bring peace to our souls and there are routines that change day by day that bring life and excitement to each day.
 
My routines are not set in stone and change often, but when I find one that works, I stick with it.  There is some comfort in familiarity, knowing what is coming up next and being alert to when things fall out of sync.  

One place routines can cause a bit of trouble is in our marriages.  As women, we love to feel secure, loved, provided for and cared for.  That may encompass regular routines such as mealtimes, bedtimes, activities etc.  But..marriage is a dynamic thing,  not an achievement, nor an attainment to be put in a trophy cabinet.  Marriage is alive and must be fed and watered. Marriage like faith, are muscles that must be exercised.  They either grow stronger or they ultimately deteriorate. 

A recent book on marriage shared some valuable wisdom about the day to day struggles we may face.  Any couple can testify that there will be difficulties in marriage. Relationships are only as perfect as the people who have them. But, struggling successfully and profitably brings a deeper joy than even trouble-free living.  A good marriage is not something you find, it is something you work for. The vitality of marriage will settle into dry ashes if it isn't fed and maintained.  

Sometimes the daily routine of marriage lulls us to sleep and we just don't feel about making the move to improve it.  We may be happy, but there is so much more to this beautiful union created by God. There will be times to through the routine out the window, to do something new, give extra thought to our actions, even if we don't feel like it.  Our feelings will catch up to our actions.  It's always easier to act our way into feeling than to feel our way into acting. 

What if we feel it's too late?  God has no time limit and if we ask Him and trust Him to bring joy and restored life into our marriages. The size of the problem is  nothing to Him, the greater the challenge, the greater He is glorified when He answers our prayer. 

Marriage is a fire that must be maintained, But if you do it right, it will roar into flame and it will create warmth and light that cuts through the darkness, casts out the cold, and draws in others to be nourished by the glow. 

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