With the worldwide pandemic and stay at home restrictions that everyone has been faced with, I am sure that couples have been rediscovering their relationships. Many of you have remained essential workers but for those out of work or working from home, you may have noticed that more time around each other has been an eye opener. You may have discovered how amazing it is to be around your significant other or perhaps not. Everyone approaches communication in a relationship differently and I wonder how many couples chose to renew their vows, decide to get married, or, the unthinkable, file for separation or divorce. I don't have the answers for you specifically, but if you're the one person who thinks that your love has died or gone stale I'd like to believe there is hope for you. There is a song by Hal Ketchum called Fall in Love Again that I thought I would share. Here is the chorus: "Let's put aside the pain and all the sorrow; Stop talking about the way things might-a been; If we'd only throw our hearts into tomorrow; Tonight we just might fall in love again."
One of the biggest obstacles to healing, growth, and adapting to change in any relationship, in my opinion, is thinking of past wrongs, broken hearts, and unfulfilled dreams. We only have so much time on this earth and we do not have control over when we will depart. We do have control, however, over whether we want to live with bitterness and sadness in our hearts. We cannot control the actions and thoughts of anyone but ourselves, but we can choose to forgive. We can choose to live well. We can thrive. I'm no couple's expert by any means but my prayer is that you will not let the past rule your life. And most importantly, our creator wants all of us to "Get rid of all bitterness, rage and anger, brawling and slander, along with every form of malice. Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you." Ephesians 4:31-32