Let’s be honest. Marriage isn’t always the walk in the park or the pretty picture we see painted daily on social media. In fact, marriage can sometimes be downright patience-testing and frustrating. Those days when we would instead tuck our tails and run? We all have them.
But, the decisions we make on those days will ultimately direct the path and even the enduring strength of our relationships.
Studies have shown that in relationships, most expectations are unmet. Why is that, you might ask? Because those expectations have never been expressed. It’s imperative in a healthy relationship to be able to verbalize and communicate expectations. And that goes for both spouses. Listen to your spouse and the desires of their heart. Discuss wants and wishes for the relationship – and then come up with an action plan to ensure each partner’s needs are met.
Where there’s a will there is a way.
Now that you have an action plan in place, stick to it; be fiercely determined. Work towards the objective or intention you’ve set together. Let your determination meet your circumstance head-on. Remember that marriage is always a team sport, especially when the going gets rough. And trust us, it will!
As we walked through the aftermath of Tim’s affair, we had our minds set. We were going to get through this painful season – together. No matter what. We had a will, and we had a way.
Did that make it easy? No way. It meant that we had the desired goal in mind and were determined to keep working together (and separately!) to reach the goal of reconciliation. Even on the ‘tuck and run’ days, we were resolved to bring about the changes we sought.
What we found on the other side was if we really wanted something, we could do it. We found a way to accomplish it, regardless of the overwhelming obstacles and odds that seemed to be against us at every turn.
So, a little encouragement for your relationship today: learning to find the will and the way can encourage and motivate us and, in turn, our spouses. And isn’t that the purpose of teamwork, after all?