Carve It Out

We sit in the living room at the end of the day. He leans his head against the back of the chair, feet propped on the reclining chair, eyes closed. I settle into my spot and sigh. We conquered the bedtime routine. Finally, a few moments to enjoy an uninterrupted conversation.

About three sentences into our much needed alone time, a child emerges from the downstairs bedroom. “I’m thirsty.” So, we fill the cup, return him to bed, and start again. Three minutes later, we hear footsteps on the stairs. “My lips are chapped.” She rifles through her backpack for the chapstick, then pauses to give us both another hug. We affirm our love for her, shoo her back up the steps, and then look at each other and shake our heads. Will we ever get to finish a conversation?

Scenarios like this happen all the time. On our bad days, we feel defeated. On our good days, we laugh. Because, really, raising all these kids is hilarious and fun and we truly wouldn’t want it any other way.

In both the good and bad days, we remember:

We must fight for time together and trust the Lord with the results. God’s ability to sustain our marriage is greater than any human effort we exert.

So we continue to fight the calendar, the to-do list, our fatigue, and the wrench in our plans. We schedule dates, think of great questions to ask, line up the babysitter, and strive to build intimacy as often as we can.

Then, we commit all of these ways to the Lord and trust his heart. He understands, he loves us, he’s with us, he upholds us, and he is for our marriage.

This is Day 14 of a series: A Diligent Wife

Photo by Towfiqu barbhuiya on Unsplash