My husband and I had the privilege of celebrating 21 years of marriage this past weekend. We’re filled with gratitude to the Lord, especially for all the lessons we have learned along the way.
Looking back, life was relaxing when we first married. We enjoyed dining at restaurants, traveling to memorable destinations, and leisurely hanging out with friends.
Then, the pace picked up as we became homeowners and parents. Life had changed.
Please don’t get me wrong. These changes were great as they’re exactly what we prayed for. The Lord entrusted us with a home and children to care for. But with these new responsibilities, life became serious. After all, home and car maintenance had to be budgeted for and we had to learn how to raise children.
Moving at an accelerated speed, life became checking off boxes between going to work, planning family trips, getting kids to their activities, planning for college … you get the idea. With all this going from one thing to another, my husband and I found ourselves just too busy to have fun.
Then, we had taken a trip by ourselves a few years ago in celebration of our anniversary. There we were, seated on a cruise ship, trying to figure out what to do with ourselves besides working on a laptop or checking who needed help with what … yes, you’re reading correctly. You see, we had become so accustomed to being “on”, that relaxing seemed foreign and honestly, kind of uncomfortable. I mean, we’re older and we’re parents. We’re supposed to be responsible and serious 24-7, right?
Drs. Les and Leslie Parrot wrote about how we can take life and ourselves a little too seriously, and “that always stunts laughter.” Their advice is to “… lighten up. Relax. Remember what really matters.”
The Lord reminded us of such during that trip. As those words sunk in, we began talking for hours about all the blessings God had lavished upon us and how He had strengthened us to press through the challenges we faced. We were overjoyed as we reflected on His faithfulness.
Before we knew it, I was engaged in my favorite pastime: reading book after book while my husband napped. We found ourselves feeling so refreshed that we felt free to just laugh, share funny stories, and take silly pictures.
When we returned home, the same responsibilities were awaiting us. However, we became intentional to incorporate jokes and light-hearted conversations into our day, not only with each other but also, with our kids … let’s be real, you need those when dealing with teenagers! Besides, it’s important to model for them that fun and laughter are integral to marriage.
Many of us are familiar with the verse in the Bible which reminds us that “There is a time for everything,” but do you know it includes “… a time to laugh,” (Ecclesiastes 3:1 & 4)? I hope this inspires you in your own marriage dear Friend.
“Make laughter the soundtrack of your marriage.” (Dave Willis)
~Joyce
