I recently found myself troubled about a situation beyond my control, and though my logical brain knew better than to worry, that didn’t stop it from taking a freight train to Fret-ville. Naturally I reached out to my partner in life, my spouse, and he responded in his typical fashion.
“It’s okay. It’ll work out.”
I knew he was right. My logical mind knew he was correct, but at his soothing words my emotionally rampant thoughts also settled. I was the worrier, but he was the reasoner. I was the one most likely to be overly concerned, while he was the one who could go with the flow. I tended to be spastic, but he tended to remain calm. In fact, he was the calm. He was the perfect calm to my storm.
If ever I doubted he was the man God intended for me, this example of our perfectly matched personalities made it all clear. It was almost like we were puzzle pieces, very different in shape, but when connected side by side the overall picture just made sense. Sometimes our differences could make me crazy, but deep down I knew my strengths played to his weaknesses and vice versa. We were an exception to the oil and water rule.
But beneath our many differences in character, that particular cocktail of specific traits, ran a solid base upon which we were united. Our faith in the Lord was the foundation of our relationship. It strengthened our marriage and helped align our differences to allow us to work together rather than in opposition of one another.
I also made certain that when I looked at my spouse I didn’t just see his weaknesses, but I also saw his strengths. I highlighted those, just as I hoped and knew he too focused on mine. Imagine if my husband looked at me and only saw the way I had a tendency to complain about my figure, or my irrational anger at times?
Because when you get married you see the whole package. The good, the bad, and the ugly. You see the hair in the floor, hear the snoring, and watch the kitchen sink leak go ignored week after week. But you also see the way he is with the children, how kind he is to strangers in need, how compassionate he is to your feelings, and how forgiving of your faults. You see how his ways and your ways make a pretty good team when placed together, and you thank God for that divine meeting of hearts.
Every time I find myself falling off kilter to the worries of my anxious mind I look up and hear my husband’s voice of reason calling me back to my center. He’s the anchor God placed to be my helpmate, and he’s the calm to my storm. Subsequently, I like to think I’m the spark to his fire, but I guess you’d have to ask him about that.