The Right Interpretation

There has been a season of bickering in my marriage... a season of stress from a move, of unmet (unwarranted) expectations, and ungratefulness...a season of jealousy... where I envied my husbands freedom and overlooked all of the things he does for me, for our family.

I was in a group of women a few years ago who studied the book Love and Respect by Emerson Eggrichs.  At the time it was a wonderful and enlightening, marriage improvement book... but I tossed that knowledge aside in the deconstruction of my faith.

A few nights ago I was looking through the kindle books I had not yet read and came across Have a New Husband By Friday by Kevin Leman... In my unhappy marital desperation I clicked on the book... I barely started the first chapter when it I had a light bulb moment!  Respect... something I was seriously failing at.

Now however respect means something different to me... It means noticing the good... encouraging Craig... and clearly stating the things I need from our relationship instead of expecting him to be a mind-reader.

Respect does not mean bowing to Craig's every decision... asking permission before I make minor decisions... It means I have a voice to use wisely and with love.

So not everything I have been taught about marriage was wrong... It just needed the right interpretation.

**Note** I don't agree with everything that the books in this post have to say... and I only read part of the first chapter of Have a New Husband by Friday and probably won't read the rest.