Twenty-Twenty-Three (2023) Interrupted

 

Happy New Year to all our Readers!

We took a hiatus to focus on us, our marriage and family. We had to make some major adjustments, relocate some family members and pray through more medical issues. Yet, the Lord has continued to bless our marriage through it all.

Today, let's share about interruptions. Life starts off pretty good at the start of a New Year, but then your plans, agenda and calendar may take an alternate path than what you intended. You and your spouse together need to be prepared.

When life gets interrupted from your usual marriage routine, you have to do three things that we have found to be helpful. We have to acknowledge the change, see what scripture has to say about about it and then decide together what our next course of action will be. Most any decision can be made that way.

Acknowledge the Change

Some changes are very obvious while others are barely noticeable. It is when the changes begin to encroach on life that we identify them. Ignoring them is never the right choice. Everything in your household affects your marriage in one way or another.

Seek Scripture on the Issue

Once identified, just about every issue can be found in the Word of God either directly or in principle. Even somethings as simple as researching a topic on the Bible App can help you find scriptures to apply to your life and marriage.

Decide on our Action

This part is simple. We can choose to align our responses to the changes that we experience in our lives and marriages with scripture or attempt to fix them on our own. How you wonder? Commit scripture to memory. Join in prayer with others of faith. Move in obedience knowing that God will not let His Word be void in your situation.

For example, we thought that my parents were well enough to care for themselves and to make sound medical and financial decisions. It was not until Covid hit that we realized that was not the case. They need us to intervene regularly so we moved them closer to the family. It could have greatly upset our marriage to make this move but we followed these steps. We acknowledged that this was serious and the Bible says:

But if anyone does not provide for his own, and especially for those of his household, he has denied the faith and is worse than an unbeliever. 1 Timothy 5:8

It was not an option for us to not provide for our parents according to the Word of God. It was hard to suddenly become caregivers, but we did. We decided as a family to make it work and to support everyone involved.

Today, we are grateful that although 2022 and the beginning of 2023 were difficult, God kept us and our parents. Challenges and changes happen, but God promises us direction for today and tomorrow.