Marriage Takes Practice

My 13-year-old son recently attended a Harlem Globetrotters basketball game with my father as a Christmas gift. He returned from the game eager to share his amazement of the spectacle he had just witnessed. Story after story of the skill and entertainment flowed from his lips. I asked him how he thought the players had become so skilled. He said, “I’m sure they practice a lot.” He nailed it! In order to perform tricks and entertain the crowd with such ease, they put in hours of practice every day.
That got me thinking about what I do in my life and how much practice do I put in.
I don’t play any recreational sports anymore. I do not play a musical instrument. What do I do that I need to practice in order to get better?
A quick evaluation of who I am revealed that I’m a follower of Jesus, a husband, a father to three boys, a son, brother, uncle, and friend. I know that if I’m honest with myself, I haven’t always kept the list in that order. To be a follower of Jesus, I need to practice my faith. Spending time in the Bible reading the Scriptures, praying, leading a small group, and doing pre-marital counseling are some of the ways that I regularly practice being a follower of Jesus Christ so that I can get better at it.
What do I do to practice being a husband? My first thought to evaluating that question is good communication. But let’s be real, sometimes talking an issue to death isn’t going to help. It’s not enough.
How am I showing my wife that I value her? How do I ensure that when things seem out of balance, that we can get them right again?
Wow, just those two questions alone make me realize that there is never a shortage of opportunities to practice on my marriage. I say practice because if I want to get better at being a husband, I need to be intentional. It’s easy to be in a marriage, but if I want it to be healthy and full of joy, I need to work on my marriage.
Heidi and I have been intentional about our marriage. We’ve tried a lot of things that haven’t worked, and have found many more things that have, and so we keep practicing. Chris and Jen Coursey’s book, 30 Days of Joy for Busy Married Couples, has positively influenced us. The insight they share from their own marriage is wonderful and the exercises they have included are great for practicing and being intentional.
Heidi and I will be sharing our story and the insight we have learned from our 25 years of practice at the upcoming Joy Rekindled Marriage Retreat on February 10-11, 2017 in Dallas, Texas.
Whether you’re engaged to be married, newlyweds or a veteran married couple, I invite you to join us as we learn some amazing relational skills to practice that will increase the joy and keep the fire burning in your relationship.
 
To register, go to http://JoyStartsHere.com/event-list