A thought by Ray Johnston (2014-05-13) from his book, The Hope Quotient: Measure It. Raise It. You'll Never Be the Same. (p.154). Thomas Nelson. Kindle Edition. (Click on the title to go to Amazon.com to buy the book.)
And we all hit walls in our relationships, don’t we? So, what do we do?
Ray says, “People without hope say, ‘Nothing’s going to work, so why even try?’ When you become a person of hope, you are convinced that God has better days ahead and that you can become the one who breaks through.”
He says, “Anyone’s marriage can reflect their faith, not their background. You can beat the odds. Any couple can beat the odds. When you partner with hope, that strong and vibrant family tree can start with you. Just don’t give up.”
He later says, “Building anything, especially a lasting marriage, is not easy. And choosing hope over despair never is. But it’s always worth it. A writer named Bob Benson died in 1986, but he captured one reason that a healthy, thriving, hope-filled marriage is so worthwhile.”
Bob says, “I pass a lot of houses on my way home. Some pretty, some expensive, some inviting— but my heart always skips a beat when I turn down the road and see my house nestled against the hill. I guess I’m especially proud of the house and the way it looks because I drew the plans myself. It started out large enough for us. I even had a study— two teenage boys now reside in there. And it had a guest room— my girl and nine dolls are permanent guests. It had a small room Peg had hoped would be her sewing room— two boys swinging on the dutch door have claimed this room as their own. So it really doesn’t look right now as if I’m much of an architect.
“But it will get larger again. One by one they will go away: to work, to college, to service, to their own homes and then there will be room. A guest room, a study and a sewing room for just the two of us. But it won’t be empty. Every corner, every room, every nick in the coffee table will be crowded with memories. Memories of picnics, parties, Christmases, bedside vigils, summers, fires, winters, going barefoot, leaving for vacation, black eyes, ball games, first dates, graduations, bicycles, dogs, boat rides, meals, rabbits and a thousand other things that fill the lives of those who would raise five. And Peg and I will sit quietly by the fire and listen to the laughter in the walls.”
Don’t give up. Break through those walls that you will face. It will for sure be worth it.
So how are you handling your walls?
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