How Do I Love Thee? Four Ways To Grow Closer To Your Spouse Today!

Let love and faithfulness never leave you; bind them around your neck, write them on the tablet of your heart. Proverbs 3:3

Marriage is a journey in which you must allow God to take the wheel. God is the anchor of my marriage and I cannot imagine where my marriage would be if I did not allow Him to bless our happy home.

Steve and I got together because a couple of friends of ours were kind enough to see in us what we could not see. That potential of what could be.

So, we dated, fell in love, and were married within the year. Crazy, I know. But, don't judge me. Steve and I are still married and more in love today than the day when we first fell in love.

Several things have contributed to our healthy, thriving marriage. First and foremost is putting God at the heart of our marriage. Truly, we seek Him in every decision in our marriage. There is nothing we don't take to God or allow Him to lead us.

What advice would I give to couples that are preparing for marriage or couples who are struggling in their marriage?

1. No marriage is perfect. You will at some point hurt each other, even without knowing or meaning to. We are human after all. We all have pasts and triggers. Let go of any resentment or bitterness and just forgive one another. Your marriage will be better and stronger for it.

2. Every day express your love for your spouse. It seems like an easy thing to do. If it were, more couples would still be married. Life gets in the way. Things happen in our lives we have no control over. Sometimes it's long hours at work, taking the kids to their activities, or simply everyday life activities, like running to the grocery store. It adds up. We need to be intentional in our marriage by expressing our love, even in the little things we do.

3. Set boundaries and create time and space to connect daily and be intimate with each other. Again, life happens and it can pull us in every direction that leaves us with no time to connect or have sex with our spouse if we don't say "no" to other things. It might mean saying no to working late, so that you can get home to have dinner with the family and spend time with your husband or wife that you have not seen all day. It could be going on a date that doesn't necessarily involve money; a walk in the park where you get to talk about your day, your dreams, and your aspirations. It could mean saying no to a social event, to be able to spend one-on-one time with your spouse for some needed alone time. Whatever you need to do, find ways to keep your time together sacred.

4. Regularly connecting with your spouse can come in various forms, such as;

   • Let's get out of the house and do something fun tonight.

   • Let's go bike riding, we haven't done that in a while.

   • Let's take a scenic ride, the weather is beautiful today.

   • Let's try the new restaurant that just opened up down the street.

   • Let's plan our vacation for this year.

You get the picture. I am sure you can think of many more adventures to add to this list. I encourage you to create your own list today.

For Steve and me, walking our dog at the local parks and engaging in conversation, talking about our hopes and dreams, is one way we connect on a daily basis. Enjoying a scenic drive and watching the sunset at the beach is another favorite thing we like to do. As well as, going to new places we haven't been is fun and exciting and keeps our marriage healthy and strong.

What are the things you are doing to invest in your marriage every day? What adventures are you taking to keep your marriage alive and thriving? Is there something that is robbing your marriage of the joy that you crave and desire? Let it go. Is there something that you need to do to get your marriage back on track? Today is the best day to make that happen.

1. Allow God to be at the center of your marriage.

2. Let go of any past hurts and start over today.

3. Do one thing that will let your spouse know you are thinking of them that expresses, "I love you!"

4. Set time aside to dream together. Set goals for your marriage. Take adventures. Connect and be intimate.

“Marriage: If you want something to last forever, you treat it differently. You shield it and protect it. You don’t make it common or ordinary. If it ever becomes tarnished, you lovingly polish it until it gleams like new. It becomes special because you have made it so, and it grows more beautiful and precious as time goes by.”

- F. Burton Howard

"Let love and faithfulness never leave you." Proverbs 3:3