Week 40: Therapeutic & A Threefold Cord
Therapeutic: When I am having a bad day, Mel's hugs are very therapeutic. The other day I was feeling very discouraged, and Mel took the time to give me a nice long hug. I felt the weight of the world leave my shoulders and was in a much lighter mood for the rest of the day. I thank God for my husband's strong and loving embrace.
In May of 2013, I started work as a veterinary receptionist (not at the same place I had been a veterinary technician). Simply starting this job and being away from my husband caused me anxiety. Mel's loving words and support eased my worries. I put forth my best effort at that job, but the staff was full of lustful men and spiteful women. Therefore (three friends of mine who had been prior employees of that place had warned me this might happen), the women turned against me and tried very hard to get me fired. After a horrible and false evaluation four months later and after going to work crying every day, Mel held me in his arms and told me my happiness was much more important than a paycheck. Consequently, I quit at the end of my shift the next day. Financially it was scary, but Mel understood that my well-being was much more important. I had even lost my appetite and could not sleep. My precious man could not stand to see me suffer.
When you love someone as deeply as Mel and I love each other, their pain becomes your own. I definitely would have encouraged him to quit if our situations had been reversed. Please never put money, success, or anything else above your spouse when you can clearly see he/she is suffering mental anguish. Trust God will take care of you.
This is slightly off topic, but I wanted to point out something else. I could have easily quit on the spot the day I had my fraudulent evaluation. However, since Mel and I are partners, I would not have made that big of a decision without him. Moreover, I truly see him as the head of our house, so I knew I should include him in my choice. So please keep that in mind for any big decisions that need to be made, they must be made together, and, if you absolutely cannot come to an agreement or compromise (although in my opinion, most everything is negotiable), then ultimately, the husband has the final word.
A simple reminder to make your spouse's happiness a priority in your marriage. God id our number one source of peace and joy, but it is also your responsibility to make him/her happy so do whatever you can to make that happen. You are your honey’s therapist. This does not just include talking things out but taking action to assure his/her life has mental stability. If your loved one has a medical or psychological need that only medication can help, then be prudent enough to know when to support your spouse in seeking outside aid. Again, trust God to take care of you and everything else will fall into place!
A Threefold Cord: Though one may be overpowered by another, two can withstand him. And a threefold cord is not quickly broken. Ecclesiastes 4:12
The "threefold cord" to which Solomon was referring is God. In other words, when you include God in your marriage, your relationship is less likely to end up broken. You are less likely to cause harm to one another when you want to please God with your actions. When you follow Biblical principles, you are less likely to cheat, steal, lie, or participate in other dishonest and harmful actions that could ultimately break your marriage.
Also, note in the verse that it is easier to stand against something or someone wanting to cause harm to you and/or your marriage when you stand as a united team. Do not let adversity, tragedy, or opposition tear you apart. Stand united and allow God to help hold you and your marriage together.
The more you include God in your marriage in such things as Bible study, prayer, and praise time, the healthier and more joyful your marriage will be!
Marriage-Enhancing Ideas for the Week:
Therapeutic: If there is any area in your spouse’s life that is causing him/her great mental anguish, do what you can to help remove your honey from the harmful situation.
Art Project Idea: One way we be therapeutic and help comfort a stressed-out spouse is to remind him/her of the promises of hope in the Word of God. One way to keep God’s Words of faith at our fingertips is to have a favorite verse of encouragement on a bookmark. You can simply write or print out such a verse, paste it to pretty paper, glue it on cardboard (thin enough not to make it too difficult to close the book), and even punch a hole in the top and add a tassel made of yarn or thread if you like. You could even include dried flowers, a photograph, or other thin items and have it laminated if this is an option. If you can cross-stitch or sew, you can also choose this option.
I am not going to suggest a specific verse this week because there far too many verses on hope and faith to narrow it down to just one. If you are at a loss for which verse to choose search “hope” or “faith” on a Bible verse search engine or look through this blog and choose one I have previously listed. The idea is to choose one that has special meaning to your spouse.
A Threefold Cord: When making any major decisions this week, make sure you both pray about it. When you consider God's will above both of your own and stop and think what Jesus would want you to do, you just may end up surprised how much better the results will be.
Art Project Idea: I don't usually give you two art project options, but here is another idea to choose from. You could do one, both, or neither! Make a friendship bracelet out of three different colors. One to represent the husband, one for the wife, and the third for God. You can either wear them, put them on a keychain, hang them in your car, etc. but the idea is that each time you look at them, you will be reminded to make all the right decisions when you acknowledge that Jesus is a part of your marriage. It will also be an encouraging reminder as well that you have the Lord God Almighty fighting for and with you and your marriage! If you do not know to how make a bracelet, there are multiple examples on You Tube (I've been making these since the 1980's!) but here is the result of a search; you can choose which video(s) to watch: https://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=how+to+make+a+friendship+bracelet
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