So being a wife is NOT a piece of cake, like at all. But, I absolutely LOVE it. I would not change my life for anything and I genuinely mean that. It helps tremendously that I have such an amazing hubby (not to brag or anything ;) ) But, he is my perfect match and I could not be more thankful to God that He brought him into my life. ANYWAYS, I've compiled a few pointers to newlyweds (or not newlyweds) Just a few things that I've learned about marriage SO FAR.. I know I haven't been married long, at all, and I will never stop learning new things throughout our marriage. But, here's a few I've learned so far....
1. COVER your husband in prayer
(and I don't just mean a little bit..) you have to constantly be praying for him. Think about it, this is the man that you will be spending your forever with, the one that will be by your side throughout your life storms. You need him to be your strong, in your weak moments in life (and vice versa.) Our hubbies are the spiritual leaders of our homes. They are the protectors. They NEED our prayers.
EVERY. SINGLE. DAY.
This is a little off topic, but I have to share just how powerful prayer can be.. It's amazing how The Lord can really speak to your heart when you call on Him. I was praying one morning after Robbie and I had gotten into a little disagreement and I can't even remember what it was about because it wasn't a big deal I'm sure.. but, I literally felt God speak to my heart and it was something to the tune of how God has forgiven even the unforgivable.. the least I can do is forgive as He has so many times for me. Whoa. It was crazy how easy it was for me to let it go just from that one simple prayer. I'm telling you..PRAYER CHANGES THINGS.
2. Laugh.. a lot.
You know the saying laughter is the best medicine? Well, it is. Seriously.. sometimes when life throws a curveball your way you have to let it go and just laugh it off. We all have those stories where the situation wasn't funny at the time and you can look back now and just laugh. Well, if we did that more in the moment, life would go a whole lot smoother (and that's not JUST in marriage.. at work, the grocery store etc..)
In marriage, I truly believe that laughter is essential and one of the key ingredients to an overall happier marriage. Every minute that you let pass by without smiling or laughing is sixty seconds of happiness you'll never get back. Don't waste precious time! I'm one of those wives who truly believes that a lifetime is JUST not long enough to spend with my hubby. So, I want to make every moment possible cram packed with happiness.
3. Never stop finding new things you love about your hubby!
Everyday and I mean it, everyday I fall more in love with my husband. It could be the littlest thing, but I am constantly thinking to myself how blessed I am that God put him in my life. Sometimes we get into the routine of life that we forget how much we originally (and should daily) admire our husbands. It's so important to keep that fresh in your mind. I still get butterflies just thinking of mine and my hubby's first date. Cheesy, I know.. BUT SERIOUSLY. He's just awesome. You honestly don't even have to "look" for things to make you fall more in love with him.. you probably already do without knowing it. I don't think I'll ever stop falling in love with my husband... and that, my friends, is one amazing feeling.
4. Always remember that ACTIONS speak volumes louder than WORDS
When you get into an argument, whatever it may be, and you WILL. I know that NO marriage is perfect and probably not even close to it. I've actually had people tell me that my life was "perfect" and the reality is that it really isn't. But, I do work hard in my marriage to make it as successful as I possibly can. One thing to remember after an argument or disagreement is that you can say "sorry" or "I'll work on it" or whatever it may be ten million times and that still doesn't change anything.. you have to SHOW that change or apology. That is what truly shows that you are sorry. There are a lot of people that can say one thing and prove something totally different with their actions. I like this scenario of how "sorry" works... you throw a plate on the ground and it's broken, you say "oops, sorry.." what happens to the plate? It's still broken right? Saying "sorry" doesn't actually fix what is broken.. taking action and initiative to fix it is what works.
Admit your mistakes in your marriage, we are only HUMAN and they are bound to happen..
One thing that I think is cool to do, to help deviate from an argument, is if you have conflicting ideas about an issue and you cannot seem to get past it is to ask your partner how important on a scale of 1-10 to them and rate it yourself 1-10 and more than likely you can compromise from there, knowing how passionate your partner is about something helps you to budge a little in the matter and vice versa.
5. Check your priorities: God first, husband second
God should ALWAYS be number one in your life. That doesn't change once you get married, ladies. I think even the most devout Christians can make that mistake in the midst of getting married and being in love and that love becomes so overwhelming but, what you have to realize is that the love you have for our Lord and Savior is above all else. If anything it should grow STRONGER with marriage because that is a bond that you should also share with your spouse. You'd be amazed at the work the Lord does in our marriages when we seek and work for Him as a couple. I honestly think that this is something you constantly should strive for with your spouse is a strengthened relationship with God. Never stop striving to please the Lord with your marriage and your life. That is one of the major purposes in life is to please the Lord. But, ultimately I think this next quote sums it up...
REMEMBER:
Don't give up, ever ever!! Remember your vows weren't a suggestion of rules to follow... they were a PROMISE to God. Marriage is a lifelong covenant that is intended to reflect the covenant keeping heart of God. As He is faithful to His covenant, so we must be faithful to keep our marriage covenant. (Genesis 2:18-24; Ecclesiastes 5:4-6; Malachi 2:13-16; Mark 10:2-12)
To be continued ;) Let me know what you think!
XO,
Amber
