The day of the wedding was pleasant, with temperatures hovering somewhere around 50* … which was good, considering we were outside quite a bit without a coat, going back and forth, to and from the sanctuary over to the reception hall.
The day after the wedding we woke up to biting cold! The temperatures had dropped almost 20* overnight, and the gusts of relentless Midwest wind cut right through your coat and chilled you to the bone! I was so very thankful it had not been this cold the day of the wedding.
I had worn my nice black wool pea coat to the wedding. It was a classy coat. Perfect for a fancy occasion.
It was not perfect for a biting, bone-chilling Midwest wind!
As I shivered with cold, during the brief moments I was out in it, I couldn’t help but think how Marriage is like a puffy, thick, warm winter coat!
Here you can see hubby and me this past summer, climbing a volcanic cinder cone. The wind in this location was likewise biting and fierce. I was thankful for my puffy, thick, warm winter coat!
The wonderful thing about a puffy, thick, warm winter coat is that it is not tight, snug, or restrictive when you wear it. But rather, it has “give” so you can move around comfortably and freely.
A healthy marriage has “give” in it.
A healthy marriage is not tight, snug, or restrictive … each person in the marriage allows the other to have some “give” room so that they are free to be themselves, to move comfortably in their own way, to be free to be who they truly are.
Because there is some “give” room in a warm winter coat, that extra space is able to capture and hold in body heat … thereby helping you to stay extra warm.
Likewise, in marriage, when we allow our spouse some “give” room to be free to be themselves, quirks and foibles and all, it brings warmth into the marriage. Just as our bodies naturally generate warmth, so also, in our marriage relationship, who we really truly are is what brings the warmth into our marriage.
A healthy happy marriage is like a puffy warm winter coat … there is plenty of “give.” Plenty of “give” for each of us to be able to be who we really truly are.
Another wonderful thing about a puffy, thick, warm winter coat is that it has layers. My warm winter coat has a puffy insulated inner layer, which is zipped into a sturdy, durable, waterproof outer layer.
A healthy happy marriage is the same!
The puffy insulated layer is close to the body … capturing the warmth from the body and holding that warmth close to the vital organs. A healthy happy marriage likewise has an inner insulating “layer.” This insulating “layer” in marriage wraps and protects those deepest, most personal matters of the heart. This insulating “layer” protects and keeps “warm” that which is most vital in the marriage relationship! No one can see this “layer.” This “layer” is tucked away … just for the husband and the wife.
Additionally, a healthy happy marriage has a sturdy, durable, waterproof outer “layer.” This is the “layer” everyone can see. This “layer” protects the marriage from the biting, fierce “winds” of life! (aka: mean co-workers, difficult relationships, impossible work drama, etc. …)
This “layer” protects the marriage from the cold downpours of life (aka: loss of a job, financial strain, complicated life drama, etc. …); and from the snows of life (aka: those “barren” winter seasons of life, etc. …).
The vital parts of the marriage … that which is warm and loving … are protected and kept safe by this sturdy, durable, outer “layer.”
One of the things I love about my puffy warm winter coat is the hood! I can stay twice as warm if my hood is pulled up! A lot of our body heat is lost through our head … therefore, it is not just our vital organs which need protection and warmth, but our head needs protection as well.
The same thing is true in marriage. We need to protect our “heads” … aka: our minds!
A lot of “warmth” can be lost out of our marriage if we do not protect our mind!
If we allow “cold” thoughts to get into our mind about our spouse … it will bring a “chill” to our marriage.
If we allow a “cold” attitude to simmer in our mind towards our spouse … it will bring a “chill” to our marriage.
If we choose to give a “cold shoulder” towards our spouse because we are offended … it will bring a “chill” to our marriage.
Protect your mind! Pull that “hood” up and don’t let the cold permeate your mind towards your spouse!
Marriage is like a puffy, thick, warm winter coat!
How is your puffy insulated “layer” doing at protecting the deepest, most personal matters between the two of you? Is your marriage warm at the very heart?
How is your sturdy, durable, waterproof outer “layer” doing at protecting your marriage from the biting winds of life and the bone-chilling downpours of life?
How is your “hood” doing at protecting your mind in your marriage? Are you allowing “cold” thoughts to creep in towards your spouse?? Watch out! Pull that “hood” up and protect your mind!
Marriage is like a puffy, thick, warm winter coat!
