Grace In Marriage

I have so many flaws. Sometimes I forget. I don’t forget that I HAVE flaws, but I forget that my husband sees them on a regular basis. Especially when I grow so comfortable just being myself in our home and marriage.

I forget that he sees me at my worst. My worst physically and my worst emotionally. I forget that I don’t hide the things that I hid when we were dating. He sees me do all of the daily mundane things that aren’t so pretty. And he hears me venting to him about my feelings and what has transpired in my relationships.

Somehow, he still finds me attractive.

I think that’s grace. 

My husband offers me grace on my “not-so-attractive” days. He still sees in his vision, the woman who dresses up to go out to dinner or to church.  He just sets aside the woman who lays sick in bed in her ugly flannel pajamas.

Grace.

It is so easy for a husband and a wife to point out all the flaws and inadequacies in their spouse.  As if WE have it all together!  For we most certainly, do not.

It’s amazing how when you can extend grace to your spouse for messing up, not looking so perfect, not acting so perfect— whatever it is – we feel so much more loving towards them!  For our heart follows our actions and out of our heart, our actions are extended. It’s a circle. It’s a choice.

I don’t see how any marriage can survive without grace. You have two flawed people living together. Your messes and mistakes are so easy to see. So hard to hide. And they repeat, as if they are on “rinse-cycle.”

We are so human. Yet in that very humanness, we are hard on one another. We expect things out of those we love that we don’t always offer up ourselves. We forget that we have dealt with that same misstep, same “oops” on so many occasions.

Grace is the ingredient that recharges a stumbling marriage. It is the glue that holds together one that is breaking at the seams, and it is the spark that keeps one sailing smoothly.

Grace.

In what ways can you extend grace to your spouse today? In what ways, has he extended grace to you in the last few days? Think on it. Ponder and reflect. Learn. Grow.

And love.