Summer has begun in Florida with temperatures already reaching to the mid-90’s. These temps usually encourage afternoon thunderstorms. The cool ocean breeze blows in from the east and collides with the warmer Gulf breezes coming from the west. The result is a spectacular display of God’s power. Lightning and thunder that is a spectacular show.

As a Florida native I love watching storms blow in. If you catch it right before it breaks, you can experience the strong winds and 20° temperature drop. The air is refreshing and such a welcomed contrast to the scorching heat.

Imagine if we could predict the forecast of our marriage…

“Tomorrow the chance of conflicts will increase causing a rise in temperatures. Be prepared to water yourself with Word of God to combat the scorching heat of adversity.”

…but we don’t get these kinds of warnings. Usually a storm blows in when we least expect it.

There are ways to help prevent thunderstorms from developing in the first place; Keep a short list of offenses.

If you try to overlook something your spouse said to you that hurt—it only works if you are able to forget about it. If you are still thinking about it the next day, you need to talk about it. And how you bring it up is just as crucial.

In our 46 years of marriage we’ve learned to say it like this… “Can we talk about something? Yesterday when you said “this” in front of our friends, it embarrassed me. I felt you were making fun of me.”

Now if you are the one who is hearing this, how you respond is just as important. If you blow it off as nothing, you’re only going to make it worse. If your spouse is feeling hurt it doesn’t matter if you meant to hurt them or not. The fact is you did, and their feelings are valid. Take the high road and apologize sincerely…

“I’m so sorry I embarrassed you like that. It wasn’t my intent to make you feel that way, but I see now how I did. Please forgive me. And if this happens again, which I hope it doesn’t, please tell me.”

The weather in marriage is just as unpredictable as it is in nature. Learning how to read the temperature accurately will go a long way in making your marriage strong to withstand whatever storms you may face.

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Welcome to our new followers. We are grateful you are here and hope we are an encouragement to your marriage.

Blessings,

Tom and Debi ❤️❤️