Daly Focus Blog
Todd and Karen Ehman were convinced they were perfectly matched for one another … until they went to premarital counseling.
They underwent a battery of tests and expected their counselor to tell them, “Your relationship was made in heaven. You’re going places. You’re going to do great things for God.” Instead, he held Todd’s profile in one hand and Karen’s profile in the other. He said, “I have to be honest with you. I know you love each other, and you love the Lord.
Darryl and Tracy Strawberry are living proof that with God’s help, any couple can overcome obstacles that seem insurmountable and build a happy marriage. Their life together has been a difficult but rewarding journey.
They met each other in recovery. At the time, neither one was living for the Lord, and they were both broken people.
Darryl was $3 million in debt. He had been a power hitting, eight-time Major League All-Star who earned four World Series championships in 17 seasons with teams like the New York Mets and the New York Yankees.
Does your marriage stress you out? If not, there’s still a good chance that you’re bringing stress into your marriage.
Either way, how do you handle it?
The natural inclination for a lot of couples is to seek stress relief in non-relational ways that enable them to hide – things like drugs and alcohol, or even behaviors like shopping, gambling, excessive cleaning, or binge-watching television – all of which lead to addiction, unhealthy obsessions, or lashing out at other people.
“…and they lived happily ever after.”
Most of the stories you heard in childhood probably ended like that. It’s the stuff of fairy tales with Prince Charming and damsels in distress.
Living happily ever after is also the hope of every couple standing at a wedding altar. Here’s the problem: happiness is an emotion – and a fickle one at that. It comes and goes with nearly every change of circumstances.
When good things happen, we’re happy.
Jim Daly is a husband, father and President of Focus on the Family and host of its National Radio Hall of Fame broadcast. His blog, Daly Focus, is full of timely commentary and wisdom designed to help you navigate and understand today’s culture. His latest book is Marriage Done Right.
