Mike and I have recently become acquainted with our Catholic church on base. Whenever we come to mass, we always seem to make it right before it starts and the Deacon is happy to point out our tardiness! Yesterday, our Deacon gave an inspirational and motivating homily. He started out by asking us to provide a ratio for the number of marriages that end in divorce. The answer was 1 out of 2. He then asked for the ratio of Catholic marriages that end in divorce...and yet again, the answer was the same. Then he asked us for the ratio of divorce for Catholic couples that attend church around three times a month. I thought the ratio would be much higher considering that most couples average around three times a month at church. Yet, the answer was 1 out of 3. Finally, he asked us to guess the ratio of divorce for Catholic couples that attend church every Sunday, pray together every day and spend five minutes of quality time together everyday. The answer was 1 out of 14,429! His message was short and simple, yet one that I have thought about and shared with others.
As a newlywed, it is important for me to not get caught up in all the small and stressful details that we will continue to encounter throughout our marriage. By praying together and spending quality time together everyday, we are acknowledging that our marriage is between God and Mike and I. It is important for me to remember that when we fight, we must also forgive. Mike is my lifelong partner and I am so excited to be starting this journey with him.
Since being married, we have LOVED spending time together. Not that we didn't before, but marriage has provided us with a new perspective regarding love and responsibility. Maintaining a long distance relationship, completing graduate school and flight school AND planning a wedding forced us to get caught up in silly issues that didn't seem to matter once the argument and stress was over. I am so grateful that I married my best friend and I am excited for the new journey that awaits us!
On a side note, tomorrow is Mike and my one MONTH anniversary since we were married. For those of you that have been married, one, three, six or many years after that...I will allow you to laugh at my statement. But before we were married, we were partners for eight years and nine months. We have watched each other grow up and have definitely seen the good, the bad, and the ugly. It is just so wonderful that we are now acknowledged by God and our loved ones as a married couple.
2 comments:
Aren't those ratios scary about divorce? Justin was just saying the other day that we already know people getting divorced. Its really sad. If you and Mike can ever get to Adoration, that is some of the best prayer/couple time. Congrats on your one month! I can't laugh...I did it too!
Phill and I have been married nearly seven years, but I sure didn't laugh about your one-month anniversary. That's still a milestone! I loved reading this post. We (especially recently) are always reminded of how important those simple things are--praying together, quality time together. It's amazing how much happier we are when we make God the priority, and it's amazing how much worse off we are when we don't!
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