Winter is finally over.  The temperatures have soared upwards and all of us that love this time of year head outside to dress the yard by planting flowers and yes, this will be the year that we plant and maintain that garden that we promise ourselves every year.  After that long winter that we just had, we feel the need to make the most of the warm weather.  But how about our marriages?  If we are real honest about it, some of us have just come through a winter season in our marriage.   Or maybe not winter, but we all could use some spring cleaning and summer planting in our marriage.  Let’s borrow some tips from the garden to make our marriage the best that God has for us.

1. Prepare the soil with prayer.  I know we all can agree that good marriages don’t just happen.  When you combine two individuals with the stress of today and add in children, careers, elderly parents, the list goes on and on.  We have to bathe our spouse and our marriage in prayer.  Ask God to guide them and protect them, to give them wisdom and favor.  Your husband is the priest of the home that needs to have clear direction from God.  By giving your marriage to God daily, we honor God for His love and honor our husbands by releasing him to God to accomplish all things through God.

2. Plant the seeds.   One of the things that men actually need more than anything is the support of their wife.  Now, we may not always agree, but they do need to feel our support, whether it is with the children, the home — whatever, they need to know that we have their backs.  Plant those affirming words in your husband, at least daily, and let him know how proud you are of him, how you thank God for him and how you support his decisions.  These strong seeds will bring a bumper crop.

3. Tend the crop.  After you have bathed the soil of your marriage in prayer and planting seeds of support and affirmation, you have to become gardener of your marriage.  Fertilize the crops with a glance and smile from across the room at your spouse.  Bring him a tall glass of ice tea while he mows the lawn.  Men like to be surprised with acts of kindness - it makes them feel appreciated.  Oh, and like any gardener will tell you, you have to be careful to watch for weeds that can choke the seedling.  Seeds of unforgiveness, pride, selfishness and just plain bad attitude will kill out an entire crop if not dealt with.

4. Harvest the crop.  This is the easy part.  When you have taken these steps to garden love in your marriage, enjoy the bumper crop!  One more thing.  Multiply your harvest by sharing what you have learned with other women.  The joy will be overflowing.

Posted under Marriage