Thursday, March 29, 2012

A Small, BUT MIGHTY Marriage Tool

This post may seem a little odd.  It may seem out of place. 

However, I want to introduce you to a powerful tool.  It's a simple little gadget.  Extremely inexpensive.  It doesn't take up much room.  You can use it almost anywhere and the possibilities are limitless. 

It can literally be a tool to salvage a marriage. 

Drum roll, please......

This little gadget is simply a dry-erase marker.

Yes, a dry erase marker. 

Now before you call the insanity police and have me hauled off for finally losing it, let me explain.

In today's world we don't sit still.  We are running from the moment our feet touch the floor until the second we crash in bed at night and fall asleep.  Staying connected to your spouse HAS to be your top priority (only second to your relationship with Christ).  Yes, that means your marriage is even above your family!  Admittedly, this was a HARD lesson for me to learn.

Sometimes, it TRULY is the small things that make a HUGE impact. 

A simple dry erase marker can be one of those things. 

I've been overwhelmed lately with the incredible impact this little tool has had on my husband and I both. 

Leaving each other notes has been the catalyst for so much connection for us.  It really takes no more than a couple of seconds, but the impact is HUGE.   I typically write on my husband's facebook wall most every day, many days multiple times.  It gives him something positive to see in the middle of the day when his day is hard.  It helps us stay connected as a family and as a couple.  However, it is those other notes that the "world" doesn't see that makes such a huge difference in how connected we stay. 

Taking the time to be POSITIVE and ENCOURAGING can truly impact each other's day.  I can't tell you the countless number of times I've seen one of his little notes for me and it has been a LIFELINE! 

We have a large dry erase board in our foyer that we've used for a couple of years now, but our newest place for leaving notes is our bathroom mirror.  It's "our" space.  It doesn't have any family messages or "to-do" lists.  It's just purely for us. 

Be encouraging.  Be uplifting.  Leave relevant scripture. Let him know you are praying about something specific he is facing.  Be playful or flirty.  (Trust me, THIS can be fun especially when you have to be creative and write in code because you have a house full of kids.) Some days even the simple  "I love you" can leave an impact.  Taking those few seconds (literally JUST a few seconds!) can make such an impact.

Get creative with it.  There are countless places you can leave a note.  You can even just leave handwritten notes on paper or post-its, but we love the convenience of the dry erase marker.  Many times I've taken pictures of notes because they've meant so much to me. 

Let's face it.  We ALL need encouragement.  We all need to know that we are valued and loved.  A small gesture that costs no money and such a fraction of time is PRICELESS.  In a world saturated with so many things pulling at our spouse's attention, they NEED positive encouragement from us.  They need us to help them keep their focus on Christ, our marriage, and our homes.  They need to know that WE are the safe place for their hearts and their focus.  Seeing positive notes can truly keep your hearts connected in a crazy world! 

Try it!  See if it doesn't make you feel a new connection to your spouse. 

(This also works really well for kids, too!)

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