Accept Each Other
When I walk on the beach to watch the sunset I do not call out, “A little more orange over to the right, please,” or “Would you mind giving us less purple in the back?” No, I enjoy the always-different sunsets as they are. We do well to do the same with people we love (Carl Rogers). “Better is the end of a thing than the beginning thereof: and the patient in spirit is better than the proud in spirit” (Ecclesiastes 7:8).
Watch for Beetles
A mighty tree stood high upon the mountain. It survived the hail, the heavy snows, the storms, the bitter cold of many years. Then finally it was felled by an attack of little beetles. And so it is with marriage. Solomon warned us to avoid the little foxes that “spoil the vines” (Song of Solomon 2:15).
Act, Don’t React
A marriage is like a long trip in a tiny rowboat: if one passenger starts to rock the boat, the other has to steady it; otherwise, they will go to the bottom together (David Robert Reuben). The Bible says, “consider one another to provoke unto love and to good works” (Hebrews 10:24).
Work at It
“And they lived happily ever after” is one of the most tragic sentences in literature. It tells a falsehood about life and has led countless generations of people to expect something from human existence that is not possible on this fragile, failing, imperfect earth (Joshua Loth Liebman). “…comfort yourselves together, and edify one another, even as also ye do” (1 Thessalonians 5:11).
Take Time for Each Other
Guard against over-commitment. Even worthwhile and enjoyable activities become damaging when they consume the last ounce of energy or the remaining free moments in the day (James Dobson). “Let thy fountain be blessed: and rejoice with the wife of thy youth” (Proverbs 5:18).
