Marriage Survival During the Hustle and Bustle
Communication breakdown! I can become very agitated when my plans don’t go smoothly because of a communication breakdown in my marriage. No matter how crazy things are in my life I can still keep it together if I feel my husband and are on the same page. However, I can get real stressed if we are not jiving and working together.
If you have been married long enough, you know having “personal” alone time, as a couple, can be a challenge with the hustle and bustle of life’s responsibilities. Good communication between a couple does, indeed, involve listening and expressing feelings to each other. However, believe it or not, my husband and I have learned to incorporate simple communication skills that we use in business each day to eliminate stress and ensures that we are spending quality time together. This may not sound romantic or exciting, but making good use of technology, has strengthen our relationship.
For your marriage relationship to stay connected, try practicing the following three tips:
- Send appointments
Have you had a miscommunication in your marriage when one of you forgot the other was working late; forgot about a dinner out with friends; or forgot about a soccer game for one of the kids? In today’s age, most of us are using our phones or computers as our calendar. When one of us schedules an event that may affect the other, we simple send the other an appointment notice so that it automatically goes to the other’s calendar. It is AMAZING how this simple step has saved us so many arguments and misunderstandings.
- Schedule dates on calendar or in Smart Phones.
We have set out at the beginning of many weeks with good intentions to have lunch together. Then by Friday, we suddenly realize that so many things came up or it was simply forgotten, and we missed our lunch time together. I have been guilty of putting “us” on the back burner when something else comes up that I think is more important. We now schedule are lunch dates just as an appointment. There is something about having it in writing that makes us accountable to stick with it.
- Turn it off
Technology is good at times, but it can be detrimental at other times. There is no way we could have quality conversation and time with our spouse with the TV blaring in the back or trying to multi tasks on the computer or phone. Use technology to schedule those times, but remember to have true communication and enhance your marriage, TURN IT ALL OFF.
So as you are sitting down looking at your fall calendar with schedules and activities, don’t forget to actually SCHEDULE and plan with your husband. Don’t hink it will just happen.
Proverbs 21:5 in The Message says:
“Careful planning puts you ahead in the long run; hurry and scurry puts you further behind.”
Don’t let the hurry and scurry of life get you behind on your relationship with your spouse. Sit down together and figure what is the best way for you as a couple to keep it fresh with minimal stress.
One of my favorite Bible verses is 1 Peter 5: 8. Quoting from The Message Bible:“Keep a cool head. Stay alert. The Devil is poised to pounce, and would like nothing better than to catch you napping.”
NAPPING! That is very convicting. When we are napping from our marriage and not giving it the attention that it needs, the enemy sees an open door to come right in.