Happy New Year! Can you believe that it is the year 2020?  With a year named 2020, perhaps our New Year’s resolutions should be something like, “to have a clear vision, improved insight or balance in my life”.  While these are all great goals or resolutions, we encourage you this year to have an additional resolve — to make your marriage a priority.

Making your marriage a priority is one of those ideas that most people agree on, but unfortunately place it on the back burner to concentrate on more immediate concerns.  In the “hectic-ness” of life, it is understandable that our spouses only get our attention after the kids, work, house and even church responsibilities are met. But your marriage matters; it matters to your children, it matters to God and it matters to your individual happiness.  In fact, how happy you are in your marriage is one of the most important indicators of one’s overall happiness. So, in 2020, we encourage you to be purposeful in making your marriage a priority.

“Easier said than done”, we know, but here are a few things we’ve tried (and are still trying).

  1. In making decisions, consider what choice is best for your marriage.  We often think about how a certain decision affects our finances, our health, our time management, our kids, etc.  In 2020, consider the positive or negative effects that a decision will have on your marriage.
  2. Regularly pray for your spouse, not just when he has a big meeting or she needs to confront a coworker, but daily.  Pray for your spouse as much as you pray for your kids.
  3. Make time to do something together that you both enjoy.  Perhaps it is going back to doing something you did when you were dating (like dancing or taking a hike) or maybe it is time to try a new activity.  But seek to enjoy each other’s company again.

The weight of raising a child with special needs can put an extra strain on your marriage.  This is why our marriages might need a little extra care and attention. Resolving to make your marriage a priority is a resolution, we believe, will pay ongoing dividends.