Old Married Couple?

A couple of weeks ago my husband and I were sitting in the sanctuary following band practice on Sunday morning. He had his arm around my shoulder, per usual. We were talking and picking on one another - you know, status quo. About that time, a member of the congregation, somewhat more experienced in life than we (read: older) came up to us and said, "It's good to see an old married couple still in love."

I have to say that I was a little taken aback by her comment. I never really thought of us as an old, married couple. We've been married 10 years, but I think we need at least 20 or 30 more years under our belts before we qualify for that title. Of course, when I consider how many marriages today terminate in divorce within a few years, more than a few even fail within the first year, I suppose maybe we are an old, married couple. And, I suppose if we look at celebrities as any indication, we are lucky we make it past the first week of wedded bliss (*cough Britney Spears *cough). So after a little more thought I decided that her comment was definitely a compliment.

My husband and I have always been a little unusual. We have known each other since we were 13 years old. We dated from the time we were juniors in high school until we graduated college; then we got married. He is my very best friend, and I share everything with him. Most women run straight to their best girlfriend to share the latest news in their lives. Not me, my husband is it for me.

Don't misunderstand, we have our moments. He was being a complete grouch the other day, and I told him about it. Of course, I have more than my share of grumpy days too. Like all couples, there are days when our house isn't big enough for the both of us, but somehow before we go to sleep at night, we manage to work it out.

So, what makes the difference in a marriage that works and one that doesn't? It all comes down to one little word - commitment. Right after we got married, I looked at my husband, and with all the love in my heart said, "Well, I guess you're stuck with me now." He replied, "Yep, and you're stuck with me too." And that is how we look at our marriage to this day. We are stuck with each other, in the very best way! There are no contingency plans. We have no backup parachute should this one fail. We succeed together and fail together. We are 100% committed to each other and this beautiful adventure of ours. If we weren't, we'd have quit before the honeymoon was over - no seriously, our honeymoon was horrible. I'll spend some time telling you about it in the near future.

So, for those of you who have "fallen out of love" with your spouses, my advice is to fall back in again. Give of yourself to your spouse - fix him his favorite dinner, rub her feet, give each other a sincere compliment and most importantly, pray for one another. You may be surprised at how much of a difference it will make.

And next time someone calls you an old, married couple say, "Thank you!"