For better or for worse..........

I've done a lot of thinking over the weekend about a conversation that I had where I expressed an opinion and now I realize I don't necessarily agree with the opinion I expressed. The person I had this conversation with will know what I'm talking about. It doesn't matter who the conversation was with; it doesn't really matter what all was said. What does matter is why I don't agree with what I had said. And I wanted to share these thoughts, because there is no doubt in my mind that everyone will probably face the same dilemna at some time in their life. Do I stay or do I go?

Giving up is easy. Continuing to work at something, to keep trying, is always harder. In any relationship there is always giving and taking. Sometimes you might feel like you are the only one giving. Sometimes you might feel like you can't give anymore. When times are tough and you feel like you can't "weather the storm," its important to think back on your wedding day; the day you stood before God, your friends and family and told everyone there, that this person standing next to you is the most important person in your life. Remember how you got to that day; why this one person is so special to you. Remember all the good things about your relationship. It takes a lot of effort to push the negative thoughts away and to focus on everything that is good. And if you ever sit and count, you'll find that 9 times out of 10, the good will far outweigh the bad. No one ever said life was easy. And no one ever said marriage is easy. The odds are stacked against a lasting marriage; just look at the statistics. Both of you have to want the same things for it to work. And it does take hard work and it does take committment from both parties. But its very rewarding to work at something, especially when times are hard, and look back with a sense of pride and accomplishment for what you have achieved.

I love how my "Mountain Wings Moments" always seem to come at such an opportune time..........

A MountainWings Moment#1228 Wings Over The Mountains of Life

HALF=====
Half of the mistakes made in your relationship will most likely be yours. That's a deep, but mathematically accurate thought. It is typical in our church men's meeting to talk about all of the things that women do in the relationship. From what I've heard, the women's meeting is the same. All of the quirks, the errors, the unappreciative and inconsiderate things, how "they" have to be babied, if only"they" were more mature, and that it is a good thing that "we"are so much more mature in order to be able to put up with"them." Yet in truth, each side makes about half of the mistakes.

It is always difficult to see our own faults. It's always easy to see the other person's shortcomings. I sometimes wonder "where has the love gone?" You rarely hear anyone say, "I know they have their weaknesses,but I love them so much that it doesn't matter." You rarely hear anyone say, "I got in this for better or for worse, in sickness and in health, rich or poor, that's what I said and that's what I mean and I'm so glad I married him/her."

We had one man in the men's meeting recently; he had been married for 46 years and said that he loved his wife a thousand times more now than he did when he married. He was the oldest man in the group. He was also perhaps the wisest. It was refreshing. You hear so much of the things wrong in relationships, but you very rarely hear how much in love a couple is. Even if people feel it, they don't say it very much. Neither of them.

Now who's fault is that?

Everyone faces many ups and downs throughout their lives. But if you have just one person you can count on through it all, your ups will be higher and your downs will be easier. Remember why it is you chose that one special person to be the one to share your ups and downs. Remember why this is the person you chose to take those vows with: "for better, for worse; in sickness and in health; for richer or for poorer."