~Appreciate Your Spouse~Buoyancy in Marriage~Consult Your Partner~
~Dream Together Part One ~Dream Together Part Two~Empower Your Spouse~
~Have Fun With Your Spouse~Give to One Another~Honor Each Other~
~Be Intentional~Jubilee~Kingdom Focused~Listen~Mentor Relationships~
Nourish Your Marriage Relationship
I Heart Gardening – Matt’s Thoughts
Okra, sweet corn, green beans, tomatoes, jalapenos and best of all sweet bell peppers. Our garden plots have been producing those for us this year. Last year our green beans didn’t yield very much, but our sweet bell peppers have consistently performed well. We rotate where we plant most of our veggies each year and I’m convinced that the soil where we planted the green beans last year lacked nourishment. The one exception to rotating our crops has been the sweet bells. They are my “babies” that are always planted in our raised garden bed. If they don’t thrive then the year has been a disaster in my opinion. I mix all kinds of nutrients in that soil and make sure they are given proper care so the fruit will be fantastic!
Yeah, this is a marriage post, so I’m guessing you can tell where this is going. Let’s make some connections in this metaphor. I have several relationships (garden plots). The more time and effort I put into nurturing a relationship, the better opportunity (soil) there is for that relationship to be healthy (produce a good harvest). Some of my relationships have grown strong and then faded through the years. I’m convinced it is because they haven’t been nourished as well. The one relationship I have committed to put above all others is with my wife…she is my “baby.” Since she is my highest priority (raised garden bed) I want to mix all kinds of nutrients into that relationship and give her proper care so our marriage will be healthy.
Check out this ginormous red bell pepper from our well nourished soil. Go Big Red!
Empty Calories – Laura’s Thoughts
I’ve shared in the past how sick I got physically when I wasn’t getting enough nourishment. A diet consisting of lots of Pepsi and other empty calories can and will slowly suck the life out of a person. I learned this the hard way. We must have healthy nutrients in our bodies in order to thrive physically.
Are you, as the wife or husband, sucking the life out of your spouse, feeding your relationship full of empty calories and causing your marriage to be unhealthy?
Are your actions and words encouraging your spouse to be more godly, more productive and more loving…or are the things you do and the words you say tearing down your spouse and wearing him/her out? The more you fill others with the garbage that flows out of you, the less nourished your relationship with that person will be. It is incredibly wearing on a person to constantly have to work at pleasing you, satisfying your whims, guessing what your mood will be like today and so on.
Don’t be a 2-liter bottle of wasted, life draining calories to your spouse. Instead, be intentional about offering nourishment in the form of words, actions and attitudes that build up, encourage and refresh the soul of the one you love.
In what ways are you nourishing your spouse?
Ladies, we know you’re reading here more often than the guys. ;) We’d love husbands to read this article as well. If you feel so inclined please send the link to your husbands, or if it’s easier, we’ve created a downloadable article for you to quickly print off and share. Healthy Marriage Tips from Z to Z – Nourish Your Relationship
Angelina says
This was fantastic. Thank you guys!!
Amber says
This was beautiful! We all have those points in our relationships where things just aren’t going right for us. Work, bills, stress, kids, puppy just went to the bathroom inside, One child saying “Moooooooooom!!!! Where did I put my star wars book????”, the other child saying “why are you wearing my pants???”, the baby banging on toys and trying to get into the cupboard,”Hey sweetheart, when are you going to make supper?”, the phone starts ringing, the tv is blaring mickey mouse club house, and you think to yourself, “oh my, if I hear that hot dog song one more time, I think I will cry!!!!”. But that is the beauty of it all. Because if you have that strong relationship with your husband, he is there for you. You can talk, cry, and just be there for each other. It is all about give and take. And this post was a beautiful reminder of that. Pick up the baby, go the the bookshelf where the starwars book is at and give it to child, tell other child that its ok that he is wearing your pants, you will wash them and he can wear them tomorrow, pull out some eggs and sausage, announce that Mommy is tired, so can we just have breakfast burrito’s tonight for supper, turn the tv down, put baby in bouncer, and go for the thing I have wanted all day long. A kiss and hug from my husband to set life straight again. Lots of love from this family!!! God bless!
Jessica says
Great insight! Thanks for sharing!! How helpful to have that link to the print out for husbands. Sure makes things easier! :)
Kristen @ Diapers and Doctrine says
Loved this illustration! I’m definitely guilty of investing too much time and energy into “plants” that are not my “baby in the raised bed”. Super convicting!
Thanks so much for sharing!