Growing up marriage was always something that you could easily get out of when the time came, and the time usually came pretty quickly. I didn't think that any marriage could last the length of time, we all change and grow so how could we possibly still love the same person forever? Of all the failed marriages I've seen there is one that has always surprised me, my parents come from two very different lifestyles, two different religions, they couldn't possibly be more incompatible, yet here they are 4 children, a college degree, two different religions, 20 years later. How is it possible that they were able to last through all of that?
In the book "Drawing Heaven into Your Marriage" by Goddard I've learned that when a couple turns away from themselves and towards each other and Heavenly Father then your marriage could last through anything. "Many Americans today can no longer accept the idea that love requires sacrificing oneself or making oneself unhappy or doing things that do not (at least eventually) serve one's individual best interests" If more couples knew this, would more marriages last? Is this the secret to my parents marriage?
Within my own marriage I seem to struggle at times thinking of how my husband isn't satisfying my needs, why isn't he doing more for me? If my marriage could be a happier one if I were to just become more selfless by turning towards Heavenly Father, then why is it so hard? It's such a simple answer, "turn away from yourself," why can't I do that? Why is it that I struggle focusing on what I can do better for my husband than what he can do for me? I guess that's just another reason we're here on this earth for, to overcome ourselves.
Goddard, H. W. (2009). Humility And Repentance: "O Jesus, Thou Son of God, Have Mercy On Me."In Drawing Heaven into Your Marriage: Eternal Doctrines that Change Relationships. (pp. 69-86)
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