Our lives are filled with obligations that require our time and effort in order to fulfill them. As we get older, it seems we have more and more obligations, but less time to meet them. In the blink of an eye the day is over and it is easy to feel like nothing was accomplished. We have to adapt to a busy life in order to complete all the tasks that are required.
One example of adapting that is used in the average American home is the microwave. The microwave was invented in 1946 and has evolved into an every day kitchen appliance. The reason why the microwave is so successful is not because of the health benefits or the great cooked food that it produces, but because it saves valuable time. There is little to no preparation required and with a press of a few buttons you have a hot cooked meal.
The microwave is a time saver that gets the job done. There is relatively no effort and no challenge, it is just efficient. Compared to a high quality home cooked meal that takes planning, preparation and a long cook time, the microwave has a clear advantage in saving time.
The microwave safe marriage
This category is typically found in people that have been married for a long time. The couple starts off strong, but as time goes by and they become comfortable in their daily routines, that comfort can take away from their effort needed for a quality marriage. It’s easy to stop being concerned with the important things in the relationship. It’s like the microwave, it’s efficient but there is no effort or challenge to produce quality bonds, it just gets the job done.
The home cooked meal marriage
With a home cooked meal, you find a recipe, then you go to the grocery store and hand pick the ingredients. At home, you prepare and combine all of the ingredients then cook them. Over time, you know that dish inside and out, each individual component that gives it the flavor you and your spouse enjoy. As you eat the meal, you feel a sense of accomplishment because of the effort that you put in.
If you put effort and time into your marriage without taking short cuts, you will feel a sense of accomplishment, you will see that your marriage will grow. It is possible to be comfortable in your marriage and still put in the effort, you may just need to work in the areas that seem uncomfortable a little more until they become comfortable.
Challenge: Do you want to just get the job done in your marriage, or do you want a high quality happy marriage? You have a choice today and that choice is to try harder, to slow down and pay attention to the ingredients that make up your marriage. Don’t microwave your marriage, you will pay for it in the long run. Slow cook a gourmet marriage and before you know it, you will smell the aroma of accomplishment.
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