We will inevitably face various trials, losses, and seasons of suffering in our marriages. The question is, how can we prepare for these storms when they come?
This week, our homeschool community experienced a heartbreaking loss as one of our families said goodbye to their two-year-old son, who passed away from a brain tumor. He was their fourth boy, and his passing hit us differently this week. Our hearts ache alongside this grieving family, and we lift them in prayer, asking for peace and comfort as they navigate this unimaginable loss. We have comfort in knowing their precious son is now fully healed and embraced in the presence of Jesus.
Moments like these serve as sobering reminders of how fragile and fleeting life can be. In times of mourning, it’s natural for our hearts to wrestle with fear and uncertainty, yet it’s also an opportunity to lean into the faith, love, and hope that sustains us.
In the well-known passage from the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus uses a powerful illustration to contrast two builders: the foolish man who built his house on the sand and the wise man who built his house on the rock. When the rains fell, the floods rose, and the winds beat against the house built on the rock, it stood firm. On the other hand, the house built on the sand collapsed under the same pressures. Why? Because the first house had a solid foundation—built on the rock (Christ!).
We will inevitably face various trials, losses, and seasons of suffering in our marriages. The question is, how can we prepare for these storms when they come? In this passage, Jesus clarifies that storms are a certainty in our broken world, regardless of where your foundation lies. The key lies in what we build our lives upon—on the shifting sands of worldly (in)security or the unshakable rock of His truth and promises.
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Here are two helpful ways to prepare your heart and marriage for the storms ahead:
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​1. Look beyond your circumstances
​It’s so easy to get distracted today. Everything is vying for our attention and trying to pull us here and there. Isaiah 26:3 makes a promise that is important for us to hold onto. The prophet says “You keep him in perfect peace whose mind is stayed on you, because he trusts in you.”
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Int’s always good to reflect on where our minds and eyes are fixed in our daily lives. It’s easy to become absorbed in good things like work, family, friendships, or even church. However, we are reminded to lift our eyes above our circumstances, shifting our focus from our challenges and even our spouse to fix them firmly on our all-sufficient Savior (Hebrews 12:2).
2. Practice regular confession and repentance
One of our favorite definitions of confession is: “to truth tell.” To confess simply means that we come to the Father to tell him the truth of what we are feeling and thinking.
We regularly think of confession as “confessing sin,” but it’s much more than that. Confession is taking our brutally honest thoughts and beliefs to God for truth and restoration. This can look like us telling God, “This is what I believe about myself, my marriage, and my circumstances.” To confess means simply telling God what you believe, even if you know it’s wrong or distorted. He wants your honesty!
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The act of repentance is when God then replaces our truth (our confession) with His truth (His word). In repentance, we can turn away from what we confessed and step into the truth of what he says about what we shared.
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This practice has become a daily part of our lives and marriage and has incredibly affected our relationship with each other and Jesus!
If you are experiencing a storm, we encourage you to grab the book Together Through the Storms by Jeff and Sarah Walton. This book has been a great resource during our recent trial. It is not a “how-to” guide for achieving the perfect marriage but rather a roadmap for navigating the challenges of suffering and understanding its impact on your relationship.
Be encouraged to lift your eyes above your trials, off your spouse, and onto our all-sufficient Savior.​
Together for marriage,
Mike and Holly
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