Two’s company, especially for those who love each other. So what happens when–due to retirement, working from home, or even running a business together–spouses find that being in the same space all the time is awkward, complex, annoying, and just plain challenging? How can partners co-exist without co-exhausting each other?
Cynthia Ruchti and Becky Melby have written Spouse in the House. They know all too well how adjusting to a new, all-the-time closeness can cause the bliss of marriage to form blisters. Drawing from their experiences, and from men and women across the country in the same situation, they take a deep breath and dive into the root causes of the discomfort. Join us in today’s episode as Cynthia digs into the ways God’s Word addresses the topic, and offers practical tips for learning the spiritual, emotional, relational, and even physical steps that can help us replace irritation with peace.
Quotes:
“Sometimes we aren’t emotionally making room for one another’s differences.”
“What God said in His word about relationships applies to our spouse as well.”
“If we could enter the marriage relationship and every morning of the rest of our lives getting rid of expectations we would be so much better off. We would be delighted by the small things.”
“Your husband cannot read your mind. If there is something my soul needed from him, but I didn’t communicate it to him, that’s on me, not on him.”
“Care about the other person and care about the marriage itself.”
“Every day I’m faced with opportunities to make something a big deal or to let it go. I decided a long time ago that I would pre-forgive my husband for every mistake he would make in the future.”
“Rather than fuming that it’s different, we had to figure out ways to work it out. Sometimes it is a physical change.”
“Togetherness in marriage doesn’t mean we have to be the same person. If we are the same person, somebody is unnecessary. Being two different people means we make a better whole.”
“A tag of tenderness can change a pinch point.”
To be a love offering: “Have an attitude that keeps investing in making your relationships better. Here I am Lord. Show me today how to show love to this man I live with.”
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