Hello Friends,
We pray this blog finds you and your family healthy and happy! With this blog, we are talking about how to create the marriage you and your spouse want to have! A marriage that is beautiful and impacts others.
Marriage is God’s idea. It’s a good idea and it can be a beautiful adventure!
Let’s go!
Covid Conversations
As we are going through this unprecedented time, I have begun to hear certain conversations pop up around me. Husbands and wives are dropping comments about being “stuck together”. Couples complaining about getting on each other’s nerves because they are having to be around each other so much.
I understand the situation. Our normal has changed. In almost every aspect we have had to rearrange our lives, and with all this rearranging we are frustrated and stressed. We are being told what we can and cannot do and we are tired. Our spouses are the ones feeling the brunt of it. They are the ones we are lashing out at or getting frustrated with, but honestly, the underlining issue is what is going on around us.
The Good News
Although this season is very uncertain we are certain of two things here at A Beautiful Adventure!
First, God is in control. This virus (and all the crazy that has come with it) did not take Him by surprise. He is still on the throne and we are still in His hands!
Secondly, we are certain our marriage and yours can thrive during this time! This time can be a season that fortifies your marriage instead of ripping it apart.
But How??
You maybe be asking yourself…But How?!?! How can this season be good for my marriage? You might find yourself in the category of people who feel “stuck” with their spouses. The frustrations and stresses of this time may be very real for you and it is having a negative effect on your marriage. You may be looking at your relationship during this time and feeling like there is NO WAY anything good can come of it!
If this is you.. be encouraged! In Romans, we find a verse that shines some amazing truth we can apply right now!
Romans 8:28 says, “And we know [with great confidence] that God [who is deeply concerned about us] causes all things to work together [as a plan] for good for those who love God, to those who are called according to His plan and purpose.”
God can use any season or situation, and flip it for good in a Christian’s life. It may not be a season or situation that feels good, but it can work out for good because we serve a loving Daddy God.
Now although God is faithful to do His part, we have a part to play as well. We cannot sit by passively and expect everything to work out and our marriage to thrive. We are to do everything in our power to create the marriage we want! If we are faithful to do our part, God will be faithful to His word and work everything out for good.
Marriage Lessons from a Painting Class!
Back in March, I saw an ad for a couple’s painting class. Each couple gets a canvas and you worked together to take the two canvas and make it one picture. Alex and I were both interested in this so we signed up for the class.
When everything shut down, the instructor of the class went to Facebook lives and created paint kits you could pick up. I went to get the kit and we looked forward to the time that we would get to paint this picture. We would have never dreamed the Lord would have a marriage lesson in store for us during this painting class.
At the time the class was supposed to go live something happened and she didn’t come on. Alex and I had everything laid out in our dining room and we waited for a while to see if the video would go live. Finally, we decided that since we had all the supplies and a copy of the picture we were painting we would just try it ourselves.
The first thing we did was do the outline of the picture.
After we got our picture drawn out we started to notice some differences in how we went about it. Alex was super detailed with his outline. He traced out everything he intended to paint. He even put initials so he would know exactly what went where. My outlines were not that detailed at all. I just put the bare minimum. Just a super basic outline. We made a few comments to each other of how we did our outline differently, but then went on to start the painting.
Once we started painting, we realized another difference. Where Alex had been super detailed with his outline, he was not super detailed with his painting. It took him no time to paint the lines of his painting and start shading. I, on the other hand, got super detailed when I started painting and it took me much longer to get my initial outlining done.
The differences did not stop there. We added our colors in a different order, we highlighted things differently. We created our pictures in very unique ways; however, in the midst of the creation, we were still working as a team to make sure that our two canvas were in ailment and where they touched matched up perfectly.
By this time, the video has started and wouldn’t you know, the teacher did the painting in yet another way, so we took some of her tips as well to make our painting even better.
Finally we were finished and our two paintings became one!
Although we each went about it in our own way, then took the advice of the teacher, our painting turned out beautiful and as one complete painting. Yes, you can see the differences but at the end of the day, that is what makes it ours!
Create the Marriage You Want Today!
I would have never thought the Lord could use this painting to teach us a lesson, but He did. We have talked about it a lot since that Saturday morning! Here are the 4 things we feel the Lord taught us during this experience!
1.Share a Common Goal
If we are going to create a beautiful marriage picture, we have to be working toward the same goal. I can not be painting one picture and Alex another, and we expect them to come together as a whole! We both have to know what the picture we are creating should look like if we are going to accomplish it.
2.Get Creative
Your marriage picture can look however you chose! Your marriage doesn’t have to look like anyone else’s. It can be totally different, and totally beautiful. Get creative with how you want your marriage to look!
Disclaimer- you make get some less than encouraging comments from others about this. That’s ok, it’s your marriage, not theirs. At the end of the day, you and your spouse need to be happy with your marriage no one else.
3.Allow for Unique Expression
Allow your spouse to be just as creative as you are. We each have a “way” that we feel is right and how things need to be done. There is not always just one right way. Alex and I could have argued over our different approaches to this painting. If we had the experience wouldn’t have been enjoyable and I personally don’t think the painting would have turned out as good as it did. Because we allow for our own uniqueness to come out, we completed the task and had fun doing it.
Work as a team, but remember there are more ways to accomplish the goal than just one! Embrace the differences and enjoy the experience.
4.Seek Wisdom
Take help when it will make your marriage more beautiful.
We were finishing up when the video started; however, she brought wisdom to it that made the painting better so we took it. She knew how to mix the paints to add new colors, and how to use the brushes to add depth. We adjusted and took the advice that would enhance the painting as a whole.
Why not do that in our marriages as well. If someone has the wisdom that will help! USE IT.
Beauty Always Makes a Sound
I heard the line “beauty always makes a sound” in a song the other day. Isn’t that so true? Beauty catches our eye. Beauty leaves an impression. It makes our sound we can’t ignore. It literally changes us. Why not let your marriage do the same thing? Why not have a beautiful adventure marriage that not only you will enjoy, but which will also impact and change others?
Your marriage can thrive during this time! We can create a marriage that is beautiful even during a global pandemic. Don’t be the couple that is “stuck together”, be the couple that “creates something beautiful together”!
For more ways to create a beautiful marriage check our our blog “Begin with the End in Mind”
Let’s create a beautiful marriage today!
You can do this!
We are praying for you!