It is probably a bit obvious that I have skipped this post for several weeks now. Is it because I have nothing to say about marriage? Not at all! I love talking about marriage. I have been reviewing and looking for articles on marriage for work. I have recently written about marriage for other publications and blogs.
Yes, I love talking and writing about marriage.
But this is Monday. And this series is called “Marriage Monday.” And Mondays are, well, Mondays.
Maybe you like Mondays. In all honesty, they are not inherently bad. I am not one of these who thinks that Mondays mark “back to the grindstone” after a weekend of freedom. I do like weekends, but I also happen to really enjoy my jobs. All of them.
It’s just that Mondays come after Sundays. And Sundays are an exceptionally tiring first day of our work week. Why? Because we are a family of introverts in the ministry. Sundays are wonderful. We love being with our church family. But, social interaction requires energy from us. We need to recharge afterward, no matter how much we enjoy it.
So, our family comes into Monday needing a recharge – a recharge we don’t always get when we need it because of the demands of Monday.
What does that have to do with marriage? Just this…
Even on Mondays, our marriages deserve a positive investment.
“Mondays” in marriage don’t always happen on a specific day of the week. They come when we are tired. They come when we have trouble controlling our words and actions. They come when we struggle with supporting and encouraging our spouses because we’re just so tired ourselves. We don’t know what else we have to give.
We forget that giving to our marriages actually brings the rest we need.
I may be tired. I may be overwhelmed. I may have a to-do list that is four times longer than the time for completing it. I may just want to crawl back in bed and hide from the world. But in the midst of it all, my marriage should be my haven. My joy. The place I want to be, with all of it centered in the love of Christ.
Marriage is not something on the list or just another aspect of my life that must be dealt with. Marriage is instead a part of me.
Mondays like to derail that reality. Mondays like to make marriage just another “thing.” But the truth is that marriage is part of the remedy for Mondays. Why? Because marriage is the picture of our relationship with Christ, and Christ is the reason we can rejoice, even on Monday!
As you head into this Monday, what threatens to turn your marriage into just another thing on your list? I challenge you to turn that around – allow your marriage to be the example of Christ working in your today. Allow it to be what puts a smile on your face, no matter what is trying to bring you down.
May your marriage be your blessing on this Monday.
Not Quite Ordinary 