Growing Closer to Your Spouse - Day 172

Growing Closer to Your Spouse

Day 172

Sometimes when a couple loses a child, they react to their confusing emotions by targeting each other. As a result, they begin to grow apart.

Quinton and Teresa experienced the death of their daughter. They offer a few suggestions to help you and your spouse grow closer during this time.

• Come together each day and apologize for anything you may have said or done to hurt the other person in the past twenty-four hours. If you do not apologize right away for the small things, they can become magnified in the other person’s eyes and the gap between you will grow.
• Be the first to give in if there is a disagreement. You do not have to agree with the other person’s view, but acknowledge the parts you do agree with and apologize for any harsh or judgmental words that you said.
• Pray together daily, whether you feel like it or not.
• Say something encouraging to your spouse each day.
• Reflect on the good times together.
• Be sensitive to the other person’s feelings and needs, which may be different from your own.
• Do not isolate yourself from your spouse.
• Attend a Bible study together.

Ephesians 5 offers this advice for husbands and wives: “Out of respect for Christ, be courteously reverent to one another. Wives, understand and support your husbands in ways that show your support for Christ … Husbands, go all out in your love for your wives, exactly as Christ did for the church – a love marked by giving, not getting” (21-22, 25 msg).

Dear Lord, sometimes I feel that the gap between my spouse and me is growing larger each day. Please help us to come together again. Amen.