Sunday, January 31, 2016

Marriage and Forgiveness


Brad and I's relationship is a classic example of "opposites attract".  It's a great binding force that provides strength, confidence and security when we are together, but it is also hard work.  "Conflict Resolution" is a skill we had to learn and master in order for our relationship to survive. And we are continually learning. It never ends.

We have grown through the years.  This year, in October,  we will be celebrating our 23rd wedding anniversary.  23 years ...

Our marriage is well at this time, but in no way it's perfect. Two imperfect people simply cannot have a perfect marriage.  There no such thing as perfect marriage. But there is such a thing as perfect love. And that perfect love, which only comes from God, is the foundation on which our marriage is built.

Yesterday, our day started out great.  But just before Brad leave for his work, I asked something and the "slightly sarcastic" reply he gave me pushed a hot button (or a raw nerve) that I actually screamed back at him. Whoah! Where did that scream come from? I knew I shouldn't be screaming. It was an inappropriate response.  My scream irritated him and he said something, which in turn made me scream louder. Whoa again! It was bad. With a very stern face and voice he told me not to scream at him.  Then he left for work. I calmed down. By the time he came back to work late at night, we are back to normal conversation.

Are we ever going to discuss what happened at that time before he left Costco? We should. But I don't know if we will.  On Tuesday will be the last of the 4 week "class" on marriage we are attending at Hope Chapel with Karen and Joe.  We will miss it because Brad is going to have a surgery that day to remove the lipoma on his chest.

23 years.  Our marriage is an adventure for sure.  Lots of ups and downs.  If someone asks me what is the key ingredient for us to make it this far, I would say there are many, but one of the most important ingredient is FORGIVENESS.  




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