A Year of Familyness: Week 3 [marriage and spirituality]

spirituality in marriage.

Mike is ready for work.  He is just out of the shower dressed in his white shirt and tie.  As he walks past me a wave of air filled with the smell of aloe Dove soap fills my nose.  I love his clean smell as he comes over and gently kisses me on the lips and then looks in my eyes.  He wraps his arms around me, pulls me close to his chest and, with his whiskers tickling my ear, he whispers a prayer.  He asks for guidance in our decisions, grace with each other, protection for our day apart.  He tells Heavenly Father how grateful he is for me and how he can’t believe his luck.

This moment is quick, it happens everyday.  It’s a much a part of our life as eating breakfast.  It is comforting and comfortable.

For us, spirituality has always been part of our marriage.  It has deepened our friendship, love, and marriage to involve a Higher Power.

Seeking the Spirit in our lives as a couple has reminded us individually and together that everything is not just about us.  By uniting our faith we have learned better how to honor, love and care for, and forgive, each other.

Not everyone has a united faith in their marriage.  You are not alone.  Even without the same faith between a couple there are ways to pursue spirituality together.

As a couple, you can find something that you both believe in and seek this week to connect with it…whether it’s God, values, or community.  Even if you both believe in God but are of different religions you can find a common ground, such as prayer, that you can share daily together.  Each of you offering a prayer in the way you are accustomed, for the other to hear, will strengthen your marriage.

Seeking spirituality in marriage:

Remember that spirituality is a life long practice

Look for spiritual moment in your everyday life

Keep in mind that everyone has their own way of being spiritual

Find a book, scripture, devotional that you read together each day to help you connect to a Higher Power, God, or whatever you believe helps you to feel greater inspiration in your marriage

Create a spirit filled environment in your home

Serve and give to one another

Pray or meditate together

Seek out divine guidance, be open to listening and to inspiration

Spirituality does not equal the church you go to, the religion you believe in, or the amount of time you spend on your knees.

Spirituality in your marriage is the how you honor one another and the way you bring Divinity into your relationship.  Whether you believe in the words of Jesus, Confucius, the Dalai Lama,  Buddha, or any other, allowing the divine power of something or someone bigger than your marriage to be part of your relationship, will help you through the difficult circumstances you face as well as give you guidance in the day to day of your life.

The Familyness Adventure for Week 3:

From my college days I remember sitting in Dr. Marshall’s class as he shared research that was conducted on families that were strong and happy families.  In their findings they discovered that one of seven contributors to their happiness was a Belief in a Supreme Being.

Spirituality in our marriages helps us to overcome emotions like anger, fear and pride and brings with it more peace, sincerity, and ability to handle the inevitable difficult moments with more grace.

In the comments, I would love to hear:

What are some ways you are creating a spiritual atmosphere for your marriage this week?