Staying Centered – Marriage Minute Monday

I remember an illustration given to us when James and I were doing premarital counseling before getting married.

Our pastor drew a triangle with God at the top and James and I both on the bottom corners. He explained that while it is possible to grow closer together without growing closer to God (moving our names to meet in the middle between the two bottom points,) if we instead focus on growing closer to God, we will also be growing closer together as we slide up the peak of the triangle. (I’m sure you’ve seen that illustration before, it’s been around a while.)

I was reminded of this illustration this past week as we were reading Chapter 7 in Having a Mary Heart in a Martha World.  The author gave the illustration of a woman spinning a half dozen hula hoops around her waist, reminding that the trick of such a feat is keeping centered. It’s more about balance and less about each individual hula hoop. In the same way, our trick for staying balanced in our lives, with all our hula hoops of marriage, kids, house, service and whatnot, is staying centered.

Centered in Christ.

To be the best wife, mom, homeschool mom, friend, and servant that I can be, I have to stay centered.

When life feels all out of balance, when I feel like I’m dropping hula hoops right and left, you can be sure I’ve lost my center. When I feel like I can be a better wife, I probably need start by returning to center.

Jesus is my center, my Rock, my calm in the storm.

Do you ever feel a little off-center? Have you noticed how it affects your marriage?

Marriage Minute

Background Image Source: Stones and Flower in Sand by Petr Kratochvil