A Happy Family :1

Wise is the person who thinks before putting his/her thoughts in Action. The fool thinks after messing up everything. And the one who realizes that He/She has messed up and still doesn't apologize because of the ego/guilt is even worse than the foolish.

A Happy Family is not a Myth

When marriage is done right, it’s one of the most beautiful experiences and relationships we can have. The commitment that marriage calls for is lifelong, and it’s intense. And in Christian marriage, the vows we make at the altar aren’t just to each other; we make them before God.

Contrary to what you may have heard, it’s not love that sustains the promise, it’s the promise that sustains the love.

Marriage is first and foremost a commitment, not a shiny Valentine or a starlit night. Love based on feelings alone won’t go the distance. Marriage is always hard in places. Bad things happen, dreams fall through. Sometimes you’ll say something you didn’t mean when you’re tired or hungry. Sometimes you’ll break her trust, or he’ll break your heart.

When you and your spouse are committed to God first, and then to each other, He’ll work in you to bring you closer and closer together.

Are you seeking first the kingdom of God and His righteousness? Are the main concerns in your marriage today finances? Something to do with the kids? How much time you and your spouse are spending in prayer?

Life gets out of whack we start focusing on anything other than Jesus. Even when those other things are good things, we need Jesus at the top of the list. Get together with your spouse and see what you can to today to keep you marriage focused on Christ.

Remember that they make look different depending on where you are in life. It may not be practical for you to spend an hour a day in the Word if you have young kids, but there are things you can do now, as a young family, to keep yourselves centered. Maybe it’s a commitment to read a Bible story together with the kids each day. Perhaps you need to spend time praying together before the day begins. Find something that works for your family.

William Shakespeare once said, “Expectation is the root of all heartache.”  Experience has taught me that real life and real relationships are tough. I’ve learned that I can’t write a list equal to my height and expect life to roll out exactly like I planned (can’t blame a girl for trying!). What my 10-year-old self didn’t realize is that we are all broken people. As long as we are living on this side of heaven, we are not immune to falling sick in mind, body or spirit. Our spouse isn’t going to morph into a pre-conceived idea of what a “better half” should be like.

In the pursuit of our own happily ever after, John Paul II reminds us:

“It is Jesus that you seek when you dream of happiness; he is waiting for you when nothing else you find satisfies you; he is the beauty to which you are so attracted; it is he who provoked you with that thirst for fullness that will not let you settle for compromise; it is he who urges you to shed the masks of a false life; it is he who reads in your heart your most genuine choices, the choices that others try to stifle. …”

Marriage is hard. That’s a given. But as followers of Jesus, we’ve been let into the (not-so-secret) recipe for true and everlasting joy: “But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you” (Matthew 6:33).

If you’re standing on rocky ground, don’t be afraid to seek help. Take your brokenness and bring it to the foot of the cross of Jesus and ask Him to make you whole. Invite the Holy Spirit and let Him lead you as you continue to live out the mystical reality of being united in mind, body and spirit. Let God show you what love really looks like!