Service takes us outside ourselves so that our lives are not lived inside a very narrow experience. The more engaged we become in service, the more engaged we become with life itself.
Although we do not want to stay completely within our own limited circumstances, one of the best people we can give service to is our beloved. We feel closer to, and more intimate with, those we serve.
A marriage can be like a special plant. If the plant is not watered or cared for on some days, it may not die. It may continue to look like it did before. Though its appearance is the same, it has lost some of its resilience because of the lack of attention. It will not be able to live for long without that attention and it is more vulnerable to storms or drought conditions. If it were cared for each and every day, it would have more strength to deal with challenges ahead. Rather than just appearing the same, it really would be the same healthy, growing plant.
It seems that marriage is perpetually going in one direction or the other: growing, or wilting. Every day that we give it special care, it continues to grow. Every day that we put off giving it attention, it becomes less resistant to troubles and some of the nurtured and beloved feeling slips away.
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