Have  you ever lost something precious to you? I have–just this past weekend as a matter of fact. I lost my journal. It’s ironic after posting about my journal-writing last week, to realize I had no idea where it was. You see, I’ve spent the past week helping my daughter move, so I haven’t had any time to sit and journal. I didn’t have a clue as to when it went missing. The last time I remembered having it was on our last date night which was a week ago Monday!

My journal is like my heart, for this is where I pour out my life to the Lord. He has used this small notebook to help me sort out my deepest thoughts. And to say I miss it is a huge understatement. So Tom and I prayed last night that the Lord would help me find it. He knows where it is, so for Him to show me is not a difficult task.

Imagine my delight when I listened to our voicemail this morning. A woman called to say she had found my journal and left her phone number for us to call her back. Wow! I am thrilled to say the least!

This whole scenario got me thinking about how often we can lose something precious in our marriage and not even realize it. Things like: time together, sexual intimacy, romantic dates, spiritual intimacy, friendly conversations. This happens in all marriages from time to time. We are human and our relationship is ever growing. The most important question to ask yourself is do you notice when you’ve lost it? Or do you continue on with life oblivious to what’s been left behind?

Think of this post as your phone call telling you to look around and see if something precious is missing from your marriage? If there isn’t anything missing, then thank God for His work in your relationship. If you find there is something missing, then there’s work to be done.

Sadly, many couples choose to quit at this point, hoping to find what’s missing in another relationship. But this is a lie from the enemy. If your marriage is lacking, know that whatever you walk away from in this relationship will simply follow you in your next relationship. It is better, by far, to stay the course and work on recovering what’s been lost.

Tomorrow we’ll continue this topic on a deeper level, but in the meantime, ask your spouse if they sense anything is missing from your relationship. Just because you don’t think there is doesn’t mean your spouse hasn’t come to a different conclusion. You want to be on the same page when it comes to assessing the condition of your marriage. Better to know now, than to be surprised at how far you’ve grown apart in the years to come.