Making Marriage Work
I hear from people who are struggling in their relationships. Some are ready to throw in the towel in their marriages. Her husband may have cheated. His wife may have lost interest in connecting. So many sad stories. So many lives and families torn apart.
But then, there’s that ordinary couple who are still in love, still thriving.
Ordinary?
Maybe not.
It’s that couple who seem to always respect each other and value the other’s opinion. They talk about another vacation they took together—the cruise or the trip to New York they just came back from. She sings his praises often. He treats her like a queen. You’ll find them in church together each week and serving in the same ministry. The honor they share for one another seems to freely flow back and forth.
My dear friend who retired from being a schoolteacher, and her husband who retired from being a firefighter, are one of those “ordinary” couples.
I asked her how she was doing, and I received the following message from her.
Sharing with permission…
“We’re good. Just coming home from a little trip to celebrate our 35th anniversary. How have I even known someone that long much less stay married to him? And he to me. I love him even more all these years later. That’s a blessing! It’s nice to be away and rest and do something different.”
What makes a marriage work for 35 years? Is it even possible today?
How do you make marriage work?
I think this couple have the secret.
Loving a person more after 35 years doesn’t just happen…
It requires intentionality. It means looking past hurts. It beckons forgiveness. It necessitates giving of oneself. It allows mistakes and humanness. It cheers successes and grieves losses together.
It requires a concrete commitment, with a solid foundation, so that when the winds of life fiercely blow, the relationship stands firm.
I think this couple know the ingredients to being a happy couple, even after 35 years…
Happy couples look for the good.
Happy couples celebrate the good.
Happy couples delight in each other.
Happy couples share life and allow the other to be who they are.
Happy couples have fun together.
Happy couples make each other a priority.
Happy couples love passionately.
“Above all, love each other deeply, because love covers over a multitude of sins.”
-1 Peter 4:8
“I thank my God every time I think of you.”
-Philippians 1:3
For more on marriage from Lucille Williams check out her books, “From Me to We” and “The Intimacy You Crave.” Available on pre-order her new book about parenting, “The Impossible Kid: Parenting a Strong-Willed Child with Love and Grace” order a copy today. Subscribe to LuSays for weekly updates.
