If I stop and pause, I can see it… Fourteen years ago now, I met a sweet recent high school graduate. He was kind, thoughtful, brought me burnt CD’s and opened my car door for me… what more could any 17 year old ask for? I fell hard and fast.
Fast forward, to now… We are in the middle of the hustle. One house. Two Cars. Three Kids. A dog and a soon-to-be flock of chickens. Homeschooling. Church. Sports. Jobs. Extra gigs. Anti-sleep two year old. Life is full!
That sweet boy I met has become a more than impressive man. He leads us well. When I think of all the ways we have grown, my heart swells.
The honest truth is I love him so much but I show it less than ever.
It’s hard to remember you are in love when making the bed feels more urgent than making love; when getting through bedtime replaces time to catch up on how we are doing. When temper tantrums, push your patience to the no-no land. When sleep is a dreamed about luxury. When keeping up my figure, is trumped by park snacks and kids treats. When our schedule looks like a game of Tetris.
Yet, without that love that brought us here, would the busy be so sweet? Would the work to keep this family moving be so worth it? The love that brought us, to be us, is the engine that keeps this thing running.
Even if I don’t show it as well as I should, I’m still in love. You and me; that’s the light at the end of a long day. We are the icing on the cake. You are what I look forward to, even if it’s just five minutes of catching up before we both pass out.
How do we keep love at the center of our marriages, when life is pulling you in all directions?
We pause.
We take time to remember falling in love. We reflect on how sweet it is just to know each other. We tell each other that we are a team and we have each other’s backs. In the midst of the hustle, we remember we are in love.
- Don’t exchange the joy of a long lasting love for expediency and a completed to-do list.
- Don’t let exhaustion be your excuse for a lack of tenderness towards your spouse.
- Be intentional and let each other know that you matter.
We matter and we are worth fighting for, even in the midst of our hustle.
