What Marriage and Volcanoes Have in Common

Mount Erebus in Antarctica is one of the most active volcanoes on earth.

The region averages fifty-eight degrees below zero in the winter and on an especially balmy summer day the temperature can nudge toward four below. Combine those frigid temperatures with hot gases escaping from ground vents around the volcano, and massive ice structures form, towering forty to fifty feet high.

They’re an oddly beautiful sight in such an unforgiving landscape.

And they exist because of opposite forces coming together.

Which brings me to marriage.

You’ve probably already noticed that however much in love, you and your spouse are quite different. You’ve also probably discovered those differences will either bring you together or push you apart.

When Jean and I were first married, we quickly found out she was a night owl, and I was a morning person. Pretty common, right? Well, at the time, it threw me. In fact, every morning for weeks I thought she was mad at me because she would barely speak until about 10 AM. I’d wake up bubbly and excited to conquer the day. But my chipper attitude was usually met with a grumbling response. To be fair, by that evening, we had switched roles. She would be lively and ready to talk, and all I could think of doing was crawling into bed to sleep.

Every relationship has a similar list that could go on and on. Left unchecked, those differences can lead to petty disagreements. And over time, unresolved disagreements can become full-grown battles that’ll bleed your relationship dry.

But it doesn’t have to be that way.

Dr. David Clarke, our guest on today and tomorrow’s program, explains how differences between you and your spouse, handled properly, can create a spectacular, intimate marriage. You see, cold plus cold equals … well, nothing out of the ordinary. But just like at Mount Erebus, when hot meets cold – when differences are brought together in harmony – incredible things can happen!

If you’re in that place of struggle, I hope you’ll join us for our broadcast, “Moving from Loneliness to Intimacy in Marriage.” Even if your circumstances seem hopeless, take heart. With a willing spirit and a little work, God can weave your differences together and transform your marriage. Listen to part one of the program today on your local radio station, online, or via our free, downloadable mobile phone app.