HOPE FOR THE HOME: Continual choices will always come up in a marriage

Follow-Up Reflection: In last week’s article, we addressed an engaged couple’s question about the choices and decisions they will face as newlyweds. This week, we want to continue that conversation by looking at the ongoing choices couples make throughout the journey of marriage.

Jerry: The moment vows are exchanged, and a couple is declared “husband and wife,” they become a family. Children do not create a family; they add a new dimension to the family you have already established. However, new parents encounter the same choices their parents had to make. When will I get some sleep? Do I call the doctor every time the baby has a fever? Will we ever have alone time again? Should we put our baby in day care so both of us can work? These are just a few of the many choices you will be faced with from the moment you hold that precious life in your hands.

Becky: For parents with young children, everyday decisions can carry lasting significance. The choices made during these early years often shape not only the parents’ lives, but also the hearts, habits, and future of their children. Public school, private school, or home school? Which activities should we allow them to participate in? How will we manage the cost of these extracurricular activities? My suggestion is that you invest in the one thing children want most during those formative years – your personal time and attention. In a recent national survey children were asked, “How do you define love from your parents?” The number one answer was – TIME. Childhood passes quickly, and once those years are gone, what remains are the memories you have created. Do your best to make those memories positive, encouraging, and filled with the assurance that your children were deeply loved. There are no perfect parents, but we have a perfect Father who has given us the instructions necessary to face all the challenges of childhood and beyond.

Jerry: A word of time-tested wisdom about decision-making: not every choice will be the right one. However, when we are willing to learn from our mistakes, even wrong choices can become opportunities for growth in life, marriage, and child rearing. Working as a team and respecting each other’s views and opinions is essential. It means learning to think, pray, and decide together. Children are quick to notice whether their home is filled with calmness or conflict, peace or stress. The voices they hear most often from the people they love can deeply shape the tone and temperament of their childhood. Psalm 127:3 reminds us, “Behold, children are a heritage from the LORD, the fruit of the womb is a reward.”  

Jerry and his wife Becky are on American Family Radio weekdays at 4:20 PM (CT) and on Sundays at 5:35 PM (CT). Check out their resources for the family at HopefortheHome.org. Becky’s latest book, “The Bright Side of Blue” and Dr. Drace’s, “44 Ways to Strengthen Your Marriage” offer biblical principles and timely advice for dealing with the challenges and trials of life. You may order these and other resources by contacting them at: hopeforthehome@juno.com.